Ninetales' Trip Down a Chain of Memories
by Darkraptor20
Summary: Ninetales is still infected with the Shadow Leech, and the only way to get rid of it is by going in after it... in Ninetales' memories however, someone else is in there along with the Shadow Leech, awaiting for Ninetales' arrival...
1. The Horror Within

**All Dogs go to Heaven: The Charlie Chronicles**

**Ninetales' Trip down a Chain of Memories**

**By: Darkraptor and Ninetalesuk**

**Author's note:**** Okay, this story is my longest one yet, but it couldn't have been possible without the help of Ninetalesuk. Thank you for helping out with this story and letting me use your characters. Also, this is almost based on the Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories game, so, if necessary, Kingdom Hearts is copyrighted to Square Enix. Now, let's begin, shall we?**

**Prologue**

The battle between Necro-Ninetales and Angel Charlie has ended. Ninetales is back to his old self and everyone that witnessed it had their memories wiped from it. Angel Charlie had sacrificed his life, almost, to save his new friend. With the encouragement of Shaina and his mother, Colleen, Ninetales was able to defeat Sultrie and regain his mind, but something was left undone, which begins this story.

"To find is to lose, and to lose is to find"

-Marluxia, _Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories_

**Unknown Location**

"Is he waking up?" said a familiar voice.

Ninetales was beginning to wake up from his last battle, but something held him back. He knew that Angel Charlie was in a coma-like state, thanks to him, or Necro-Ninetales. He kept thinking that if he wasn't weak, he wouldn't have allowed Sultrie or her Shadow Leech to take over him.

"If he doesn't wake up soon, he may miss Christmas", said another voice, "Vaporeon, use your Water Gun on him".

"No way", replied the other voice, which was Vaporeon, "For two reasons: One, it isn't Christmas yet. And two, he's going to be mad if I do".

"No need", said Ninetales, opening his eyes.

"Ninetales", said Vaporeon, "Glad that your awake".

"Where am I?" yawned Ninetales, trying to focus his vision. He only saw a blurry room with a blurred Vaporeon, a brown one which he knew must be Eevee, and a yellow one, which could only be Jolteon.

"In a room in the Dog Heavens", said Jolteon, "It was the only place to go for treatment after a dark battle from the shore".

"Shore?" said Ninetales, then he remembered, "Charlie! How is he?".

"Well", said Vaporeon, "I see you're feeling better, so I better go".

"Not until you answer my question", said Ninetales, glaring at the now clear Vaporeon.

"Fine", said Vaporeon, "Fine, just bandaged up and healing from the burn".

"Oh", said Ninetales, "Did I do that to him?"

"Yes", said Jolteon, "And no".

"What?"

"You see, you weren't yourself when you burned Charlie, it was Sultrie. She made you fire a black colored Fire Blast towards Shaina and Sasha, but Charlie stepped in front of it and took the hit for them".

"Really? Our Charlie?"

"Yeah. Seems he really does care for Sasha that he risked his own life to save hers".

"Now that's love", said Eevee.

"Yeah", said Ninetales, "But what about the other one, the one who was fighting me?"

Eevee, Jolteon, and Vaporeon just lowered their heads. Ninetales turned pale.

"Please don't tell me… I killed him", said Ninetales.

"Not exactly", said Jolteon, "We don't know what you did, but he's in a coma. He doesn't seem to want to wake up".

"Where is he?" said Ninetales.

"He's in a different room", said Vaporeon, "Sasha is with him".

"The other Sasha?" said Ninetales.

"Yeah", said Eevee, "And also, I think Shaina should be here to see you in about…"

There was a knock on the door.

"Wow, a second".

Eevee went to answer the door, and sure enough, there was Shaina.

"Hi Eevee", said Shaina, "Came by to see how Ninetales is doing?"

"Well", said Eevee, opening the door to reveal Ninetales, "See for yourself".

"Oh, Ninetales. How are you feeling?"

"Okay", said Ninetales, smiling.

Shaina approached him and kissed him on his muzzle.

"Okay", said Eevee, beginning to push Vaporeon and Jolteon out, "I see you two want to be left alone. If you need us, we'll be in the waiting room".

"Um", said Vaporeon, "I don't think Annabelle has a waiting room in this place".

"Then let's explore until we find one".

"Why didn't you say so, let's get going".

"Onward to the unknown"

"What unknown?"

With that, the three pokemon friends left the room, leaving Ninetales alone with Shaina.

"Shaina", said Ninetales, "I'm sorry for what I did to you and everyone else".

"No need", said Shaina, hugging Ninetales, "We all know it wasn't your fault, so don't blame yourself for something you didn't do. Please, I don't want to lose you, like I almost did last time when you first met Belladonna".

Ninetales shuddered when he remember what happened that day, but strange thing was…

"Funny", said Ninetales, trying to think on that day.

"What's funny?" said Shaina, looking at him.

"Nothing", said Ninetales.

"It's something, Ninetales", said Shaina, looking away, "Please, stop trying to make me feel better by saying that. I'm here to help you anyway possible, you know that".

Ninetales lowered his head, "I'm sorry Shaina. You're right, I mean, after all, Charlie, the other one, said that he and Sasha never kept secrets from each other, and so should I".

Ninetales looked at his left arm, which suddenly felt a bit strange, like a familiar strange.

"Well", said Shaina, "What was it you thought was funny?"

"Oh", said Ninetales, now looking at Shaina, "It was when I tried to remember that day, when Belladonna almost crushed my spirit with my past. When I tried to remember what happened that day, I kind of, almost felt the pain I endured that same day, like I was reliving it all over again".

"That is strange".

"I know, but also, when I tried thinking of that same memory's aftermath, I kind of… forgot about it".

"What do you mean? It was after you woke up that you told me about your past to me. How you said that your parents died saving you, how you know they're watching you from Heaven, and how you will cherish sunsets as a reminder of their bravery".

"All that happened?" said Ninetales puzzled.

"Stop that".

"Stop what?"

"Pretending you don't remember that day. It's frightening me".

"I'm sorry if I am, but I'm not lying. Something's wrong with me again".

"How's that possible?"

"I don't know… I simply- OUCH!"

Ninetales soothed his head when he tried to scratch it with his left paw again. Just as he was soothing, he heard Shaina shriek.

"EEEK!" shrieked Shaina, pointing, "NINETALES! YOUR ARM!"

"What about… OH MY GOSH!"

Ninetales' left arm had the purple markings again, just like when he became Necro-Ninetales.

"HOW'S THIS POSSIBLE?!" shouted Ninetales, holding and examining his arm.

"I dunno", said Shaina, crying, "But I don't want to lose you again like last time. We better find Annabelle at once".

With that, the setter and pokemon rushed out of the room.

**Angel Charlie's Room**

"Oh, Charlie", cried Angel Sasha as she held Angel Charlie's paw. Angel Charlie has been defeated by Necro-Ninetales, but he hasn't given up living. He's alive, but barley. As Angel Sasha continues to watch over him, Sasha and Charlie, bandaged up, were waiting outside with Flareon, Flo and Angel Bess. The others decided to stay and run the café. While waiting, Flo was watching Angel Bess finish a cross word puzzle without making a single mistake.

"How is it you're good at these?" said Flo.

"Experience and talent, really", said Angel Bess.

"What's up with you two?" asked Charlie.

"Oh", said Flo, "Well, you see, I live with Bess and Itchy, so whenever we're not doing anything, me and Itchy give Bess here a puzzle to solve. Funny thing is, she has solved all the puzzles we give her".

"Not all of them", said Angel Bess, "Remember that puzzle you gave me, the one you found with the Christmas items?"

"Oh yeah. I forgot that was the day I triumphed over you".

Just as the two friends were having a pleasant conversation, Eevee and the others turned up.

"Anyone up for a duel?" said Eevee, getting his deck out. Eevee and the others keep their decks in a deck box tied with a shoelace, since they have no pockets.

"A what?" said Flo.

"A duel", replied Angel Bess before Eevee could answer, "Don't you remember that anime we always watched on Saturday mornings?"

"Oh", said Flo, "Yu-Gi-OH!"

"Right", said Angel Bess, pulling a deck out, "And let's just say we also have that game in our world".

"Neat", said Vaporeon, "A battle between two similar worlds".

With the setting of the mat, Angel Bess and Eevee were set to duel.

"Get your game on!" both of them said at the same time.

"Man, that saying is getting annoying", muttered Flareon, but no one seemed to have heard him.

"You go first", said Angel Bess to Eevee.

"Fine", said Eevee, drawing a card, "I start off by…"

"WHERE'S ANNABELLE!?" shouted a voice behind them that made Eevee jump and lose his hand.

"What's the matter?" said Sasha as she went to Shaina. She noticed that Ninetales was behind her, but before she could say "Hi, Ninetales, feeling better?", she noticed that their faces were pale white.

"This", said Ninetales, showing them his left arm, "is the matter".

Everyone gasped as Sasha and Shaina ran off to find Annabelle.

"I can't believe I forgot about it", said Annabelle, examining Ninetales' arm. Angel Annabelle, Colleen, and Edward were there, looking worried at their son's condition.

"Forgot about what?" said Eevee, looking at Ninetales' arm, "That Ninetales got a cool tattoo?"

"No", said Ninetales, glaring hard at Eevee.

"It's the Shadow Leech", continued Annabelle, "When we went into Ninetales, we only got rid of Sultrie…"

"Excuse me", interrupted Eevee again, "Don't you mean 'exorcise'?"

"Very well", said Annabelle, a little annoyed for being interrupted, "exorcised Sultrie, we forgot to rid…"

"Exorcise"

"Ugh… Exorcise… the Leech. It was dormant from the point that Sultrie took over, so we couldn't see it when we went in".

"Let's just get another snowflake from Stormella and get that little sucker out", said Charlie.

"I'm afraid that this one isn't going to be that easy", said Angel Annabelle, passing a blue light over Ninetales, "It's adapting".

"You mean", said Charleon, "That it's going to get kids and live in Ninetales?"

Sasha and Shaina both slapped Charleon over the head.

"Idiot", said Sasha, "Adapting, not adopting".

"It means that the leech got smart to not fall for the same thing twice", said Angel Bess, "May I?"

"Go for it", said Sasha as Angel Bess slapped Charleon over the head too, "It really makes the anger go away".

"HEY!" said Charleon, "What do I look like, a punching bag?"

"Well…" said Flareon, rolling his eyes.

"Um…" said Colleen, "If all of you are done slapping Charleon, may Annabelle continue?"

"Sure", said Sasha, "We're done".

"Now, no more interruptions, please", said Angel Annabelle, now concentrating her paw on Ninetales head, "Hmm… I located it".

"Where?" said Shaina and Colleen.

"Inside his mind", said Angel Annabelle, "of his memories".

Everyone stood silent, except Charleon, who was soothing his head.

"Ninetales", said Angel Annabelle, "Did you experience anything unusual since you first noticed your arm?"

"Yeah", said Ninetales, "When I was remembering a painful memory, it made my whole body seem to experience it again, like reliving it".

"I see. Anything else?"

"Well, when I tried remembering a happy one, it sort of… began fading away".

"I suspected as much. Ninetales, the leech is messing with your memories".

Ninetales got up with a shocked look on his face.

"WHAT?!" said Ninetales, his eyes wide, "Are you saying that thing is making me lose my memories?"

"Not exactly", said Angel Annabelle, "It seems to feed off them. It's making the painful memories stronger while neutralizing your content and joyful ones".

Shaina went to Ninetales, took his right paw, and began stroking it softly.

"Is there any way we can help him?" said Shaina.

"Yes", said Angel Annabelle, "But it maybe risky".

"I don't care if it's dangerous", said Colleen, "I don't want my son to go through that ordeal again".

"Very well", said Angel Annabelle, "Please, follow me".

**Chamber of Dreams**

"Welcome to the Chamber of Dreams", said Annabelle as she opened the door.

The room was a spectacular place to behold: it held a starry ceiling with actual shooting stars, blue crystal walls, and a running fountain with an angel shooting water from it was centered in the middle. Everyone gazed at the magnificence of it.

"Wow", said Shaina as she leaned on Ninetales' right side (she's avoiding the left side).

"Annabelle", said Ninetales, "It's a beautiful room, but dreams? I thought we were going to do something about my memories?"

"We are", said Annabelle, "Where do you think dreams come from? Memories. All the happy memories we enjoyed are made into dreams for us to be in, but alas, all the sad and bad memories we endured also make the bad dreams, or nightmares".

"In other words", said Angel Annabelle, "This place is where we're going to fight that leech inside of you".

With a clap of her paws, a long bed-like formation formed from the crystal floor.

"Lie here", said Annabelle to Ninetales. Ninetales complied as he jumped on and laid on the crystal bed. He expected it to be hard and cold, but the bed was actually warm and liquid-like, as if he was on a water bed.

"Here", continued Annabelle, "You'll be able to travel in your mind, so you'll be able to take out that leech".

"All by myself?" said Ninetales, nervous.

"No", said Annabelle as she clapped her paws and four more beds materialized out of the floors, "Only four others can go into your dreams with you".

"I'll go", volunteered Eevee.

"No thanks", said Ninetales, "You, Charleon, and the Three Stooges…"

"Hey!" said Jolteon, Vaporeon, and Flareon.

"… are the last ones to be considered to enter my mind".

"I'll go", said Shaina, hopping onto the next one.

"But Shaina", said Ninetales, "I don't want you to get hurt".

"That's okay", said Shaina, holding his paw, "Remember, we're in this together".

"Guess I'll go too", said Colleen, hopping into the other one next to Ninetales, "After all, you are my baby".

"Mom", said Ninetales as the others chuckled.

"What about you, Edward?" said Colleen to her husband.

"Think I'll set this one out", said Edward, "Don't take me wrong, but I'll stay here in case that thing turns our son back into a demon again".

"He's right, you know", said Annabelle to Colleen, "Who knows how long it may take, so he's better off here".

"I'll go", said Charlie, but Sasha stopped him.

"Charlie", said Sasha to him, "You're in no condition to fight, so I'm going instead".

"What?!" said Charlie as Sasha hopped into the third one, "But Sasha…"

"What?" said Sasha, "Think I can't do it?"

Charlie just stood silent for a moment and said, "Be careful".

"Okay", said Annabelle, "We need one more".

"I'll go", said a voice behind them. Turning around, they saw Angel Sasha walking up to the final bed.

"But Sasha", said Angel Annabelle, "Why aren't you with Charles?"

"I don't know", said Angel Sasha, "But something came over me. It was a voice, saying to go with Ninetales. I can't really explain, so I'm here".

"Very well", said Angel Annabelle.

As the five were set, Annabelle made the room grow dark, so only the ceiling was lit.

"Cool", said Eevee, "Hey Annabelle, think we can have a slumber party here?"

"Now's not the time, Eevee", said Annabelle as she was performing a prayer of some kind.

Suddenly, Ninetales and the others felt drowsy. They saw the room begin to spin as sleep took over them.

To Be Continued...


	2. A Lost Memory, A familiar enemy

**Okay, if you read the first chapter, then you know that Ninetalesuk is still infected with the Shadow Leech. Now, he, Colleen, Shaina, and both Sashas are to enter his memories and defeat it, but what unsuspecting dangers are waiting for them inside?**

**Memory Resting Chamber**

"Where am I?" said Ninetales as he opened his eyes. He looked around and saw that he was in a pure white room, like where he was when Sultrie imprisoned him.

"Ninetales?" called out a voice.

"Shaina?" said Ninetales, now realizing that she and others came with him, "Where are you?"

"Behind you", said Shaina.

Ninetales turned around and saw Shaina. He hugged her, who also hugged him back.

"Shaina", said Ninetales.

"Ninetales", said Shaina.

"Ahem", said another voice.

Turning around, they saw Colleen and the two Sashas, but one of them was wearing a bracelet.

"Sasha", said Ninetales, "Where did you get that?"

"This", said Angel Sasha, who revealed it as the Shield of Purity, "I borrowed it from Flo. I ran into her and told her that I may need this".

"Well", said Sasha, "At least you can tell us apart".

"True", said Colleen, "But can someone tell me how we're going to find that leech when there doesn't seem to be any place to go?"

Everyone began looking around and, to their astonishment, saw that it was a big empty space.

"Ninetales", said Shaina, "Please don't tell me this is your mind. Because it's kind of… empty".

"Hey", said Ninetales.

"How are we supposed to continue?" said Sasha.

"DO YOU WISH TO CONTINUE ON THIS QUEST?" boomed a voice.

"Whoa!" said Sasha, heading back to the others, "Who was that?"

"DO YOU WISH TO CONTINUE?" asked the voice again.

"Should we answer it?" said Shaina, hugging Ninetales.

"Perhaps we should", said Ninetales, "YES, WE DO WISH TO CONTINUE!"

"VERY WELL", said the voice.

Suddenly, the area flashed white before it became a bluish-white crystal room with pillars and an archway made of white marble.

"What is this place?" said Colleen, examining the structure.

"A RESTING PLACE FROM YOUR MEMORIES", said the voice, "WHEN ONE DOESN'T WISH TO REMEMBER MEMORIES, THEY COME HERE, TO SLEEP A DREAMLESS SLEEP".

"Who are you?" said Sasha, looking for where the voice is coming from.

"And why are you helping us?" said Angel Sasha.

"BECAUSE", said the voice, which now sounded that it came from one direction, "I WANT NINETALES TO JOIN ME!"

The gang turned around and gasped to see who was standing in front of them.

"SHADOWMASTER!" screamed Angel Sasha, Sasha, and Shaina.

"Who?" asked Colleen.

"ShadowMaster Copperhead", said Angel Sasha, "He's the most evilest monster that was once human and wants to make the world be shrouded in shadows".

"CORRECT, MY DEAR", said ShadowMaster.

"How did you get inside here?!" snarled Ninetales.

"WHY EXPLAIN TO YOU, NINE-TAILED FOX?" said ShadowMaster, sounding like Mizuki (of Naruto).

"What do you want with him?" snarled Shaina.

Ninetales looked at Shaina with a surprised look. He never saw her this angry before. She seemed determined to fight along side him.

"LIKE I SAID", said ShadowMaster, "FOR HIM TO JOIN ME".

"I'LL NEVER JOIN YOU!" roared Ninetales, breathing flames at him.

ShadowMaster took the attack, but the flames fizzled out and ShadowMaster wasn't even singed.

"PERHAPS I SHOULD ALLOW YOU TO SEE WHY YOU'LL MAKE A MOST WORTHY ALLY", said ShadowMaster.

Before he knew it, Ninetales saw ShadowMaster glide right for him. He braced himself, but ShadowMaster went right through him, like if he was a ghost. When ShadowMaster went right through him, Ninetales felt a weird mixture of warmth and cold at the same time. Ninetales fell to the floor, while Shaina and Colleen went to help him.

"Ninetales", said Colleen, who turned towards ShadowMaster, who had his back turned towards them, "What did you do to my son?"

ShadowMaster let out a small laugh that still brought shivers down Angel Sasha's back.

"I REVIEWED YOUR SON'S MEMORIES", said ShadowMaster, "AND I FOUND QUITE A COLLECTION. THIS ONE…" ShadowMaster showed them a white laminated-looking card, "… WAS QUITE INTERESTING. A SLEEPING MEMORY".

"A what?" said Ninetales, getting back to his feet.

"A SLEEPING MEMORY. MEMORIES CAN NEVER BE FORGOTTEN, SO OLD ONES GO TO SLEEP, TO MAKE WAY FOR NEW MEMORIES. TO WAKE UP A SLEEPING ONE, IT HAS TO BE TRIGGERED BY A PERSON, PLACE, THING, OR EVENT".

"I never knew I had a sleeping memory", said Ninetales, looking at ShadowMaster, "Why are you doing this?"

"I WANTED YOU TO ENJOY YOUR MEMORIES, WHILE YOU STILL HAVE THEM. HERE…"

ShadowMaster threw the card to Ninetales, who caught it. Ninetales examined the card, but couldn't make out the picture on it.

"TO ENTER A MEMORY, YOU MUST HOLD THE CARD IN FRONT OF THAT DOORWAY…" pointing towards the door between the arch, "AND ALLOW IT TO OPEN IT FOR YOU".

"Thanks?" said Ninetales, uncertain about this ShadowMaster.

"BEWARE NINE-TAILED FOX, FOR WHEN ENTERING A MEMORY, IT MAY BE PAINFUL TO RE-EXPERIENCE IT OVER AGAIN".

With that, ShadowMaster disappeared, as if he was a ghost.

"WE WILL MEET AGAIN" boomed his voice one last time.

Ninetales continued to examine the card ShadowMaster gave him. Shaina looked at it too, and shuddered.

"Should we go on with this?" said Shaina, uncertain what to do.

"I don't know", said Colleen, also looking at Ninetales' card.

"Well", said Sasha, "Someone better decide, otherwise we're going to be here forever".

"Then let's go", said Ninetales, heading for the door, "There's no point in waiting here, now is there?"

The females looked at each other with uncertainness.

"What's wrong?" asked Ninetales to the girls.

"Ninetales", said Angel Sasha, "What if we're playing into ShadowMaster's hands, or claws, or whatever he has?"

"Yeah", said Colleen, "We need to think about this".

"Mom", said Ninetales to the Vulpix, "There's no time. We need to keep going if we're to get rid of this leech".

"Fine", said Colleen, still being uncertain.

Ninetales waited until everyone was within range. He held the card before the door, and then, the card shone brightly as Ninetales and the females entered the sleeping memory.

**United Kingdom: Park**

"I don't believe it", said Colleen and Ninetales as they viewed where they were.

"Um", said Angel Sasha, "Can someone fill me in, please?"

"We're back home", said Ninetales.

"What do you mean?" asked Angel Sasha.

"He means he's remembered this place, right?" said Sasha, who also looked at the green grass, the beautiful trees, and the lovely morning sun that was bathing the field in a golden glow. "Hmm… I have a feeling that I've been here before".

"What do you mean?" asked Shaina.

"It's the United Kingdom", said Ninetales to Shaina, "This is where I was born and lived before coming to San Francisco".

Shaina couldn't believe it either. _This is the UK_, thought Shaina, _My, it's lovelier than back home. This park does remind me of Golden Gate Park_.

"But why is this a sleeping memory?" asked Ninetales, befuddled.

"Ninetales, look", said Colleen, pointing towards something upon a small hill.

Ninetales and the others moved in closer to see a small Vulpix, about two weeks old, playing around and scaring the Beautiflies.

"Ninetales…" began Colleen.

"It's me", said Ninetales, looking as his young self chased after a Pidgey.

"Ooh", said Shaina, her eyes beaming, "You were so cute as a pup".

Ninetales' cheeks turned red as he turned away.

"But", said Colleen, "Why is this a sleeping memory".

Before Ninetales could answer, Sasha said, "Wait, I think I remember that Vulpix".

Just then, Vulpix chased the Pidgey into a bush where they heard him say "Ow", along with another voice.

"That hurt", said the voice, which sounded sweet and high, like another puppy.

"That voice", said Sasha, "It can't be…"

"I'm sorry", said the Vulpix as an Irish Setter puppy with ribbons in her hair jumped out of them.

"THAT'S ME!" said Sasha, her eyes wide.

"WHAT!?" said Shaina, Ninetales, and Colleen. Angel Sasha just watched the pups look at each other and apologizing over and over.

"I remember this", said Sasha, "I came to the UK when I was just around two weeks old. My parents came here for a holiday getaway and went for a morning walk".

"Wait a minute", said Shaina, "If that's you sis, and that Vulpix is to be Ninetales, then that means…"

"You two knew each other since you were young", said Colleen, "No wonder you looked familiar. You look a lot like your mother, what's her name, Jaycie!"

"I can't believe it", said Ninetales, looking at Sasha, "I never knew that puppy was you, Sasha. I thought I met my first friend, but I never knew I'd meet her again. Wow".

"Um, Ninetales", said Angel Sasha, "Listen, I think you two better watch this".

Ninetales, Sasha, Colleen, and Shaina went and saw the two puppies begin to chase each other.

"Wow", said puppy Sasha, "I never met another puppy with so many tails".

"I'm a Pokemon", said Vulpix, "I'm a Vulpix, just like my mommy".

Ninetales blushed as the females said, "Ahhh".

"My name's Sasha", said puppy Sasha, "What's yours?"

"Me?" said Vulpix, "I don't have one, just a last name: Fox".

"Mom", said Ninetales to Colleen, "Why didn't you give me a name?"

"Oh", said Colleen, blushing redder than her fur, "Well, you see, your father and I didn't know what to name you, so we kept mixing names up until we found one that suited you, but unfortunately, we…." Colleen drop tears from her eyes, "I'm sorry for not giving you a proper name".

"It's okay, mom", said Ninetales, comforting the Vulpix, "It's okay. At least I knew my last name was Fox".

"Fox?" said puppy Sasha, "That's a nice name. Wanna play?"

"Sure", said Vulpix as they began playing.

"I still can't believe it", said Sasha, "My first best friend turns out to be you Ninetales".

"Likewise", replied Ninetales.

The friends watched the two puppies play as the time quickly sped away till it was late in the afternoon.

"Sasha", called out a voice.

Sasha and Shaina's hearts seemed to have jumped into their throats as they saw their parents emerge from the bushes.

"There you are", said Jaycie, "Don't run off like that. You know how worried we got".

"I'm sorry mommy", said puppy Sasha.

"Who's your friend?" said William, pointing to Vulpix, who ducked behind a tree.

"He's a Pokemon", said puppy Sasha.

Colleen noticed that Sasha and Shaina were crying, while Angel Sasha was almost on the verge to cry.

"What's the matter?" said Colleen to the setter sisters.

"Oh", said Sasha, wiping the tears from her eyes, "It's just that, it's good to see my parents again, especially since they're in Heaven".

"Same here", said Shaina, "All I remember was that my mother looked like Sasha. I was adopted by the time I was a week old, so I couldn't remember it well. All I know is that I lived with a kind lady in an apartment in Oakland. She was killed in a car crash, so I sort of ran away before the pound could take me away, and ended up in San Francisco".

"As for me", said Angel Sasha, looking away, "I never knew them. I never got to really know them, so maybe, perhaps, they could be almost the same in my world".

"Maybe", said Colleen, "Oh, look, here I come".

Another Vulpix, bigger than the one hiding, came by to pick up her son.

"Hello there", said Colleen to William and Jaycie, "Haven't seen you around these parts?"

"Oh", said William, "Our owners are here on a holiday getaway, so they brought us along".

"Really?" said Colleen, "Where are you from?"

"San Francisco, California", replied Jaycie.

"California? Oh, you mean the United States?"

"Yes".

"First time here in the United Kingdom?"

"Yes, and by far, it's wonderful".

Colleen smiled as she noticed the puppy hiding behind Jaycie's fore legs.

"Oh, is she yours?" asked Colleen.

"Yes", said William, "The youngest of our last litter: Sasha".

"Say hi, sweetie", said Jaycie as she nudged puppy Sasha forward.

"Hi", said puppy Sasha.

"And is that your pup there?" said Jaycie, pointing to the Vulpix behind the tree.

"Yes", said Colleen, going over and picking up her son again from behind the same tree.

"My, how old is he?" said Jaycie.

"He's two weeks old", said Colleen.

Just then, they heard another voice coming from afar.

"WILLIAM! JAYCIE! SASHA! COME ON, WE'RE GOING BACK TO THE HOTEL!"

"Oh dear", said Jaycie, "Well, it was nice meeting you".

"Nice meeting you too", said Colleen as she waved to the departing Irish Setters.

"Come on", said Colleen, "It's getting late. Let's head home".

"Yes, mommy", said Vulpix as he trailed after his mother.

Ninetales couldn't hold it in anymore: he let out a few tears as he saw his young self, happy and spirited and having his mother and father, going with his mom.

"There, there", said Shaina, "It's okay Ninetales. It's okay".

"Thanks", said Ninetales, nuzzling Shaina's muzzle.

"That was beautiful", said Colleen, "I can't believe it. I never knew your parents died".

"Didn't you meet them in Heaven?" asked Sasha, who was wiping away the last of her tears.

"No", said Colleen, "Well, after all, Heaven is a pretty big place".

"Well", said Ninetales, "At least we got to see… who's that?"

Ninetales pointed to something small in a blue cloak. The cloak covered its whole body and it seemed to have heard them, since it was looking right at them.

"Hey there", said Ninetales, going towards the hooded person, "Who are you".

The hooded person just looked at him, and began running away.

"HEY!" said Ninetales as he gave chase to it.

The hooded person seemed to be quick and nimble, but Ninetales was faster. Just as the hooded figure was about to run through the bush, Ninetales leaped and pounced on it.

"GOTCHA!" said Ninetales, looking down at the cloaked person.

The females went towards Ninetales and the hooded person, who were surprised to see it here.

"Who are you?" said Ninetales, "And what are you doing in my memories?"

"I live here", replied the hooded person.

"What!?" said Ninetales, "Are you that leech?"

"No", said the hooded person, whose voice sounded like it was talking through a scarf, "I lived here since you're very first memory, the one of mom rocking me to sleep on my first night in the real world".

"What are you talking about? Who are you?"

"Don't you get it?" said the hooded person as he took off his hood to reveal himself, which shocked everyone, "I'm you".

Ninetales and the females jumped a foot away from the Vulpix.

"You're… me?" asked Ninetales, confused as the others.

"Well", said the Vulpix, "Partial. I'm sort of your inner child, the one who experiences joy and laughter, and also cries when experiencing sorrow and fear".

The Vulpix got into a fetal position, put his head down, and began crying. Shaina went to the little Vulpix and comforted it as if he was her pup.

"There, there", said Shaina, "You want to tell me what's the matter?"

"Yes", cried Vulpix, "It's been bad in here, ever since… 'it' came inside".

"The leech?" said Ninetales to himself.

"I dunno", said the Vulpix, wiping his tears with his sleeve, "All I know is that it kept making bad things in here".

Just then, the sky turned red and a scream was heard.

"Not again", cried the Vulpix, putting his paws over his head.

"What's happening?" said Sasha, looking at the once peaceful place that now turned into gloom and doom.

"EDWARD!" they heard Colleen scream. The present Colleen and Ninetales grew pale and white when they heard her scream.

"No…" said Ninetales, having tears in his eyes, "Not again".

"Ninetales", said present Colleen, "Please be brave. We have to endure this in order to continue".

Just then, they saw the other Colleen running with Vulpix Ninetales in her mouth, Edward coming in as a ferocious Hyper Beam hit his hind leg.

"GRAA!" yelled Edward in pain.

"EDWARD!" shouted Colleen, heading back.

"NO!" shouted Edward, "GET AWAY FROM HERE! I'LL HOLD THEM BACK!"

"Daddy!" shouted Vulpix as Colleen continued to run, but was cut short when something huge landed in front of her.

"TYRANNITAR!" shouted a voice.

Ninetales, who was feeling both sorrow and anger, and the others saw who it was that was attacking them. The poacher was a burly, bearded man with an evil gleam in his eyes. On his chest, he had an insignia of a poke ball with two swords criss crossing it. Ninetales dug his claws into the ground, seeing the murderer of his parents.

"NOW, USE SLASH!"

Tyrannitar complied as he swung his arm towards the mother and her pup. Just as she braced herself, Colleen heard a yelp.

"AAHH!"

It was Edward. He jumped in between of Tyrannitar's attack and his family. Colleen, both of them, were crying seeing Edward beginning to bleed.

"Edward!" said Colleen.

"GET… GOING!" said Edward as he got up with difficulty and launched himself against the Tyrannitar.

Colleen reluctantly obeyed and ran to a far off place, where she put Vulpix inside the base of a tree.

"I love you", said Colleen, "Stay here!"

"Mommy!" cried Vulpix as he saw his mom return to the battle. Edward was no match for the Tyrannitar, but was saved when Colleen fired her Flamethrower at the Tyrannitar's face. The Tyrannitar howled in pain as Edward fell to the ground, badly injured.

"Colleen", said Edward, hardly breathing, "I… told… you…"

"I'm not leaving you", said Colleen as the Tyrannitar regained his sight, "I'll handle him".

"Behind… you…" said Edward as he ran past Colleen. Colleen turned around as she saw a Machamp give Edward a Sky Uppercut. Edward took the hit, fell to the ground, dead.

"EDWARD!" shouted Colleen, forgetting about the Tyrannitar.

"Pathetic", said the poacher, "Tyrannitar, give that Vulpix a real Slash".

Tyrannitar obeyed as he slashed at Colleen.

"STOP IT!" cried Ninetales as he rushed towards the fight.

"Ninetales, wait", said Colleen as she watched her son trying to save her memory self.

Ninetales lunged for the Tyrannitar, but he went right through and landed on the other side. He got up as he watched his mother punched and slashed to death.

"Mommy! Daddy!" cried the young Vulpix as he saw his parents being taken away from him.

"Now that's done", said the poacher, stepping over the bloody bodies of Edward and Colleen and headed towards the Vulpix, "Now for the prize".

"HERACROSS, FURY ATTACK!" shouted another voice, which made Ninetales look up. He saw a Heracross hit the poacher away from him and a British trainer riding in on a Salamence.

"Well well", said the poacher, getting up, "If it isn't Conan Whyte, the British Champion".

"That's Sir Conan Whyte and Agent Whyte to you!" said the British trainer as he placed his hand on Edward and saw no vital signs, "And your under arrest for Pokemon slaughter, blackmarket deals, and illegal experimentation!"

"I don't think so", said the poacher, "Machamp! Tyrannitar! Get rid of him!"

"Heracross, use Mega Horn on Tyrannitar; Salamence, Dragon Claw on Machamp!"

As the Pokemon fought, Vulpix crept out of the tree and went to his parents' bodies.

"Mommy! Daddy!" cried the Vulpix as he was joined by Ninetales, who was crying as he remembered this day.

Colleen, the dying one, tried to lift her paw as she touched her pup one last time.

"Sweetie", said Colleen as the Vulpix went to her with tears coming from his eyes. From afar, the pokemon yelled in pain as their attacks did their worst.

"Mommy!" began the Vulpix, "I'm sorry, I'm…"

"Shh", said Colleen, "It's alright… it's alright… don't blame… yourself… we didn't… expect you to be… a hero… please… live on… without this guilt, sweetie… live… without… guilt".

With that, Colleen died. Vulpix gave his mother one last kiss as he left before the battle was over, the Champ the victor.

"And to be sure this doesn't happen", said Sir Conan as he threw two snag balls at the Tyrannitar and the Machamp. He then handcuffed the poacher and saw the Vulpix run away, into the world, alone.

"You should be ashamed of yourself", growled Sir Conan, "Killing Pokemon. Thanks to you, that little one has no one here to protect him. Salamence, let's go to Scotland Yard".

As the Salamence carried his trainer and the culprit away into the night sky, Ninetales was slamming his paws into the ground.

"DAMN IT!" he shouted as he saw his parents die again.  
"Ninetales…" said Colleen as she went to comfort him, along with Shaina.

Ninetales was crying like he never did before.

"Please listen", said Colleen, "Remember, we never expected you to be a hero. We gave our lives so you could live, and here you are now".

"I know", said Ninetales as Sasha, Angel Sasha, and the cloaked Vulpix joined them.

"See", said Vulpix, "This is what I mean. It wants me to always experience these terrible events".

"And why not?" said a voice behind them.

Ninetales turned and saw the last person he wanted to meet: Sultrie, looking at his parents' dead bodies.

"Poor unfortunate soul", sang Sultrie, acting out Ursula, "No wonder you were easy to manipulate".

"SULTRIE!" shouted both Sashas, "HOW DID YOU GET BACK IN HERE?!"

"You're both only half right", said Sultrie, "I am the Sultrie created by fox boy's memories and brought to existence by the power of the Shadow Leech, along with others, but it's me right now. Either way, poor Pokemon, giving their lives up so Ninetales could become my servant, how nice".

"SHUT UP!" roared Ninetales, getting himself up, "I DON'T NEED THIS RIGHT NOW!"

"Oh, tough guy", said Sultrie as she began to approach him, "You were weak from the beginning. You couldn't help your parents, and you couldn't help yourself stop me from killing Barkin. You're weak".

"DON'T LISTEN TO HER!" cried Shaina as Angel Sasha unleashed the Shield and braced herself.

"Cry all you want", continued Sultrie, "I love it when the great hero falls apart at these things. It's like music to my ears".

Sultrie approached Ninetales, but Colleen was already enraged.

"YOU WITCH!" shouted Colleen as she fired her Fire Blast towards her. As the fire burned the area, she thought she got Sultrie.

"Good one", said Sultrie behind Colleen. Acting quickly, Sultrie grabbed Colleen by the throat, "Only if you were aiming towards the ground".

"LEAVE HER ALONE!" roared Ninetales, launching himself to Sultrie. Sultrie just fired a black electrical orb to Ninetales, who took it at full force.

"Poor Ninetales", said Sultrie as she began to squeeze Colleen's throat, "Couldn't save your mother then, can't even save her now".

Sultrie laughed as Ninetales tried to get up.

"You're going to watch your mother die again. What now, fox boy?" said Sultrie as Colleen was losing consciousness.

"THIS!" shouted Shaina as she pounced onto a surprised Sultrie, sinking her teeth into Sultrie's arm and letting Colleen go.

"AAAGGHH!" shouted Sultrie as she fell to the ground, Shaina still biting deep into her, "GET OFF!"

Sultrie punched and threw Shaina off, where she landed near Vulpix, who was up against a tree, shaking with fear.

"I'LL SHOW YOU FOR DOING THAT!" shouted Sultrie as she threw crystal darts to her.

"I don't think so", said Angel Sasha as she stepped in front of it and blocked the attack with the Shield.

"YOU PEST!" shouted Sultrie as she prepared a black orb in her hand. Before she could launch it, she got blasted by a stream of fire. Ninetales had turned from white to red, like the time he first fought Equi and Nox.

"So", said Sultrie, creating a staff out of black crystal, "It's your hidden power, huh?"

"Hidden power?" said Colleen as she saw her son in a red, angry color, ready to fight Sultrie.

"I'll explain", said Sasha as she grabbed Colleen and took her away. While she was explaining, Sultrie and Ninetales began their fight.

"Come on", said Sultrie, dodging Ninetales' attempted Slashes, "All that power and you can't land a hit on me".

"SHUT UP!" roared Ninetales as he launched himself to Sultrie, who used the staff to block the attack.

"Ooo", sang Sultrie, "I actually felt that one. Now watch mine. Special power, Crystal Mannequins".

With that, two crystals stood to the side of Sultrie and changed into her form.

"Nice, aren't they?" said Sultrie, knocking Ninetales off her staff, "And they're impervious to attacks. So while we play, my doppelgangers are going to have fun with the girls".

The two crystal Sultries began walking to the area where the females and Vulpix stood while Sultrie launched another black orb to Ninetales, who swatted it with his paw, which began to become enflamed.

"This is new to you", said Sultrie as she twirled her staff, "Let's see if you can hit me with it"

"MY PLEASURE", said Ninetales as his whole body was engulfed in flames. He ran towards Sultrie, preparing to attack.

Meanwhile…

"Flamethrower", said Colleen as she breathed flames on the crystal Sultrie, but it wasn't affected. Another crystal Sultrie tried to launch her crystals towards Colleen, but Angel Sasha blocked them again.

"Any ideas?" said Colleen, using Iron Tail on the crystal Sultrie.

"RUN AWAY!" cried Vulpix as he began running the opposite direction.

"Good idea", said Sasha as she got her sister on her back and followed the Vulpix. Angel Sasha and Colleen were holding back the crystal Sultries, who now turned their arms into sharp sword-like appendages.

"This isn't good", said Colleen as the crystal blade nearly missed her.

Ninetales fired his Fire Blast towards Sultrie, but she easily avoided them.

"Oh", said Sultrie, running towards Ninetales, "I actually felt some wind from that".

"FIRE BLAST!" shouted Ninetales as another big burst of flames came from his mouth.

Sultrie's staff took the hit, which looked like it melted.

"Yikes", said Sultrie, looking at her melted staff.

"I GOT YOU!" shouted Ninetales as he used a flaming Take Down on Sultrie, launching her off. Sultrie was being defeated.

"How's this possible?" gasped Sultrie, using her staff to hold herself up, "How can you be stronger than me? How is it you're able to open your hidden potential when I couldn't?"

"I'LL SHOW YOU!" roared Ninetales, "HYPER BEAM!"

The beam launched towards Sultrie, but she took a big leap up, where she crossed her arms.

"CRYSTAL STORM!" shouted Sultrie, launching a shower of crystals towards Ninetales.

"OVERHEAT!" roared Ninetales, launching one of his strongest fire attacks towards Sultrie's crystals. The flames seemed to have melted the crystals as the attack hit Sultrie.

"AAHHH!" shouted Sultrie in pain.

Colleen was pinned down as the crystal Sultrie was about to decapitate her. Just then, the crystal Sultrie stopped and began cracking. Soon, it broke into thousands of pieces.

"What's does this mean?" asked Colleen to Angel Sasha, who was exhausted of defending herself from the other one.

"Look", said Angel Sasha, pointing to Ninetales, still on fire, holding Sultrie from his paw.

"Oh no", said Colleen, running to her son. As she approached, she noticed that Sultrie was glowing white from her chest as if something had been broken inside. As she stood at the mercy of Ninetales, Sultrie smiled.

"Not bad, fox boy", gasped Sultrie as she was disappearing, "You may still have a dark future after all".

With that, Sultrie disappeared in a flash of white light.

"GRAAHH!" shouted Ninetales as he yelled at the top of his voice.

"NINETALES!" shouted a voice behind him. Colleen and Angel Sasha saw that Shaina, Sasha, and Vulpix were coming towards them, "What's happening to him?"

"We don't know", said Angel Sasha, having the shield return to a bracelet, "He just finished off Sultrie and now, he's just yelling".

"No", said Vulpix, "He wants out".

"Ninetales?" said Colleen as the flames surrounding him seemed to grow wild. Just then, the flames separated from Ninetales, making him collapse onto the ground, back to white and blue.

"Him", pointed Vulpix to the flames, which were materializing into the form of Ninetales.

"What… is… that?" said Ninetales as Shaina and Colleen helped him up.

"He, like myself, lives inside of you", explained Vulpix, "But, He's of anger and hatred. He's usually sleeping, but then, when something like this happens, he wakes up and fights".

"So", said Sasha, looking at the Fire Ninetales, "He's Ninetales' rage?"

"In a way", said Vulpix, "He's never talking to me, just waiting to see when he's ready to fight again".

With that, the Fire Ninetales took off, into Ninetales' mind.

"Where's He going?" asked Angel Sasha.

"Who knows", said Vulpix, "Anywhere but here".

Just as Ninetales began getting up, a doorway of light appeared in front of him.

"What the…" said Ninetales.

"To answer your question", said Vulpix, entering the door, "It's the way out of this memory".

Ninetales and the females went through the doorway, leaving the sleeping and malevolent memory behind them.

To Be Continued...


	3. Making new friends is nICE!

**So, looks like ShadowMaster Copperhead and Sultrie joined the Shadow Leech to fight against Ninetales and the girls. Even though Sultrie's defeated, who else is waiting for our friends ahead, and where did that other Ninetales go? Let's continue our story, shall we?**

Memory Resting Place

"Shaina", said Ninetales as they entered the blue room again, "I'm sorry you had to see how my parents were killed".

As Ninetales began to cry, Shaina nuzzled him.

"It's alright", said Shaina, also having tears in her eyes, "Now I know what you've been through. You had a rough puppy hood, especially when you lost your parents. I know how it feels, being separated from the ones you love. We all do".

As everyone settled down from crying, they were confused on how to continue, especially since the door out was locked.

"Okay", said Sasha, wiping away the last of her tears, "How are we supposed to continue?"

"DEAR DEAR SASHA", boomed ShadowMaster's voice as he appeared behind them, "NINE-TAILED FOX, DID YOU ENJOY RELIVING YOUR MEMORY?"

"Hardly", growled Ninetales, "Why did it go to that memory? Did you send Sultrie to fight me?"

"ALWAYS FULL OF QUESTIONS, AREN'T YOU NINE-TAILED FOX", said ShadowMaster, "ALL I CAN SAY IS THAT IT WASN'T MY DOING".

"He's right", said Vulpix, "He isn't responsible of adding that painful memory to the sleeping one. It was 'it'".

"Who's 'it'?" asked Ninetales to his young self.

"DON'T YOU KNOW?" asked ShadowMaster, "I'M SURPRISED AT YOU! WHO ELSE IS ABLE TO DO THIS TO YOUR MEMORIES?"

"You", snapped Ninetales at ShadowMaster. ShadowMaster just laughed.

"IF YOU INSIST" said ShadowMaster, "IT'S THE SHADOW LEECH. WITH EVERY PASSING MINUTE, IT'S BURROWING DEEPER INTO YOUR MIND UNTIL IT'S UNSTOPPABLE".

"Then we need to hurry", said Ninetales.

"But how?" said Sasha.

"FUNNY YOU SHOULD ASK", said ShadowMaster, forming a black orb in his reptilian-like hand, "TO PROCEED, YOU MUST DEFEAT ME!"

He launched the orb towards them, but Angel Sasha unleashed the Shield and let it deflect back at him. ShadowMaster quickly swatted his own attack off, where it hit a pillar. As the pillar shattered, Ninetales breathed flames onto ShadowMaster.

"Burn, ShadowMaster", said Ninetales as he fired another Flamethrower.

"IS THAT YOUR BEST?" asked ShadowMaster as he made the flames sizzle away.

"No", said Ninetales as he fired a Fire Blast.

ShadowMaster grabbed the Fire Blast and held it.

"IT'S STRONG", said ShadowMaster, "BUT NOT STRONG ENOUGH!"

"Here then", said Colleen as she fired her own Fire Blast, making Ninetales' one grow stronger.

"Mom", said Ninetales to the Vulpix, "Let's keep the attack burning".

"Right", said Colleen, "Flamethrower".

As mother and son fired their flames into the Fire Blast, ShadowMaster was having difficulty keeping the attack at bay.

_Hmm_, thought ShadowMaster, _Ninetales is really beginning to know to rely on others for help. Time to end this for now_.

As the two Pokemon stopped their attacks, they fell to the floor, exhausted as the flames fizzled into nothing.

"Did… we… get him?" asked Ninetales, panting hard.

"BEHIND YOU!" shouted Shaina.

Ninetales and Colleen turned around to see ShadowMaster Copperhead unharmed.

_NO_, thought Ninetales, _Me and mom put all of our energy into that attack, now we can't get away_.

As Ninetales braced for the inevitable, ShadowMaster tossed him three more cards.

"YOU PASSED, NINE-TAILED FOX" said ShadowMaster, "YOU SEEM TO BE MATURING MORE THAN I THOUGHT".

Ninetales took the cards, then looked at ShadowMaster with a puzzled look.

"Why are you helping us?" asked Ninetales.

"MY OWN REASONS", said ShadowMaster as he disappeared and reappeared behind Colleen and Ninetales, where one single flame was flickering.

"HAVE YOU EVER WONDERED WHY I ALWAYS APPEAR IN TIMES OF LIGHT?" asked ShadowMaster, "IT'S SIMPLE. WHEREVER LIGHT GOES, A SHADOW FOLLOWS. TAKE YOURSELF FOR EXAMPLE, NINE-TAILED FOX. THIS FLAME REPRESENTS THE LIGHT YOU FOLLOW. AS THE LIGHT ILLUMINATES YOU, YOU CAST A SHADOW, BUT EVERYTIME THE LIGHT GOES LOW, THE SHADOW GROWS UNTIL THE LIGHT IS EXTINGUISHED…" ShadowMaster puts out the flame, making the room go black, "THE SHADOW TURNS INTO DARKNESS! BEWARE, FOR IT MAY HAPPEN TO YOU, NINE-TAILED FOX!"

The light returned to the room and ShadowMaster disappeared.

Ninetales looked around and saw that the females and his younger self were looking worried.

"What did he mean by that?" asked Sasha as she joined Ninetales and Colleen.

"I don't know", said Ninetales, looking at one of the cards, "Perhaps one of these have the answers we seek".

Ninetales showed the card to the door, where it glowed white and took them all into the next memory.

United Kingdom: Park

"Is this the same memory?" asked Angel Sasha as she looked around. They were back in the park, where Ninetales' parents were killed.

"I don't think this is the same memory", said Ninetales as he looked around, "Look. The trees are more bigger, and there's a lot of people and Pokemon here as well. No, this is just a few years later. Wait, I think I know this memory…"

"Hey", said Shaina, pointing towards a Pokemon, "Is that you, Ninetales?"

A young brown fox with 6 tails was walking through the park.

"Yes", said Ninetales and Vulpix, "That's me! I remember now, this is when I was first captured by the American Trainer and came to San Francisco!"

"You mean him?" said Sasha, pointing to a trainer who just unleashed his Squirtle.

"Yeah", said Ninetales as he watched the Squirtle fire his Water Gun at the unsuspecting Vulpix, "I still remember how angry I was when I was attacked".

"Squirtle, use Water Gun now!" shouted the trainer.

The Squirtle sprayed water from his mouth and weakened the young fox. Ninetales watched as he fell down in a dizzy state. The American trainer threw a red and white ball onto Vulpix and caught him.

"Haha! That'll teach him!", said the trainer as he picked up the poke ball, now containing Vulpix, and recalled Squirtle back into his poke ball, "It's time I head back home".

As the trainer marched off, Shaina saw an odd expression on Ninetales, as if he was confused on what to feel at the moment.

"Ninetales?" said Shaina, "What's the matter?"

"Nothing", responded Ninetales, "Just a mixture of feelings".

"How's that?" said Sasha.

"Well", began Ninetales, "I felt anger when I saw how that trainer caught me so easily; sadness that I was taken away from my home; and, weirdly, happiness".

"Happy?" said Angel Sasha.

"Yes", said Ninetales, "If that trainer didn't catch me, I would still be here in London, probably just continuing my guilt trip and finding someone to have me".

"So, you're saying instead of hating him, you should thank him?"

"Something like that".

Suddenly, the park swirled around them and turned into an airport

Airport, England

"That was weird", said Sasha.

"Flight 490 to Greenland has been temporarily delayed", said a voice.

"This must be the airport where my trainer evolved me", said Ninetales, "Look, there I am, and there's my trainer battling the British trainer on a bet".

"A bet?" said Shaina.

"If my owner won, he'd get a Fire Stone", said Ninetales, "But if he lost, he gives up a Gym badge".

Ninetales and the females watched the battle of Squirtle vs. Charmander, which Ninetales knew the outcome, and so did the others.

"Hey", said Sasha, looking around, "Where's Vulpix?"

"Huh?" said Colleen, "Oh yeah, where is he?"

"Over there", said Angel Sasha, pointing to two Vulpixs standing besides a Magneton, Vileplume, Hypno and Fearow. Before they could ask what he was doing, the battle seemed to have ended.

"No! Charmander, return!" shouted the British trainer as he returned his Charmander back into its poke ball. He then reached into his pocket, which caught the two Vulpixs and Ninetales' interest.

"As you won the battle, I'll give you this as a promise", said the British Trainer, tossing a red object to Vulpix's trainer, "If I win, you'll give me a GYM badge. But if you win, I'll give you this"

"All right! A Fire Stone!" said the American trainer with delight to all, but Vulpix.

Vulpix jumped up and quickly cowered against the wall, leaving the cloaked Vulpix and Ninetales alone as the American trainer went right through them.

"Making me evolve without my opinion", said Ninetales as he saw his old trainer place the Fire Stone next to his young self. Shaina and the other females watched as the little brown Vulpix disappeared in a bright light, only to be replaced with the Ninetales they know, minus the scars.

"OH!" said Shaina as she saw the Ninetales, "Ninetales, I never knew you looked so handsome without the scars".

"Hey!" said Ninetales, "What am I now?"

"Brave", said Shaina, licking Ninetales on his muzzle, "And still handsome. The scars make you look distinguish after all".

They watched as the American trainer pulled a mini computer (the PokeDex) and pointed it to Ninetales.

"Ninetales, the Fox Pokemon" said the PokeDex, "The evolved form of Vulpix. Grabbing one of its nine beautiful tails for a joke will make this beautiful Pokemon give the joker a 1,000 years curse of bad luck".

"See", said Shaina, "Even Dexter there said you were beautiful".

"Beautiful?" said Vulpix as he laughed, "I think you mean handsome".

"What's the difference", said Ninetales as he picked his young self up, "I mean, they do mean the same thing, right?"

"Yeah, I know", said Vulpix, "And here's where I, or should I say you, got your name".

"Ninetales huh", said the American trainer, "Then, I'll nickname ya Ninetalesuk!"

"UK?" said the past Ninetales as he got returned into his poke ball.

"So that's how you got your name", said Sasha, "I wouldn't believed it if I didn't see it. Your old trainer must have been lazier than Charlie"

"What?" said Angel Sasha.

"Not your Charlie", said Sasha, "My Charlie…I mean, the Charlie from my world… I mean, the one whose playing mummy".

Sasha blushed as she finished mixing up the words. Then, they heard the same voice again.

"The plane to San Fransico will leave in 20 minutes. Flight will take 4 hours due to because of less wind!"

"All right, San Fransico, here I come!" said the American trainer as he made his Pokemon return into the Poke balls and turned around to make his way home.

"Amazing how that kid is", said Sasha.

"I know", said Ninetales, "I never did like him that much, but he was still good to me in some ways".

Like before, the room swirled around and the airport was changed into a different location, by the looks of it, Golden Gate Park

Golden Gate Park, San Francisco.

Ninetales and the females looked as they saw that they were back in the park… again. Vulpix spotted the American trainer challenging another trainer, a fat boy with a bandana over his black hair.

"Hey", said Vulpix, "Check it out! My first battle!"

"What do you mean 'my'?" said Ninetales to the Vulpix.

"Come on", said Vulpix, "I am you, after all".

"He has a point", said Colleen as she hugged Vulpix.

"Mom!" said Ninetales.

"Sorry, I forgot how much I hugged you like that"

"Anyways, let's watch the next three matches", said Vulpix.

"Let's not", said Ninetales, "They're embarrassing to me".

"Why?" said Shaina, "I think I deserve to watch your first matches at least".

"Fine", said Ninetales, "But you're not going to like them. I know I didn't".

"Go, Ninetalesuk!" shouted the trainer as he threw Ninetales' poke ball. Ninetales appeared, ready to battle.

"Ha!" said the other trainer, "This is too easy. Go, Groundshaker!" He threw a poke ball and a Dugtrio was brought out.

"A Dugtrio, huh", said the American trainer as he checked his PokeDex, "Says here it's a Ground-type. Ninetalesuk, use Ember!"

Ninetales obeyed as he sprayed fire specks at the Dugtrio, but it didn't flinch.

"What kind of trainer are you?" said the other trainer, "Groundshaker, Earthquake!"

Dugtrio went underground and shook the whole field, making even Ninetales, Vulpix, and the females shake.

"Whoa!" said Sasha as she held onto a tree, "That was a strong Earthquake!"

"And a One-hit KO for me", said Ninetales as he saw himself lying on the ground, unconscious.

"Ninetalesuk, return!" shouted the American trainer as he returned the knocked out Ninetales.

"Groundshaker, return", said the other trainer as he withdrew his Dugtrio, "You should know by now that Ground type Pokemon have the upper edge against Fire types. Ha! Later, loser!"

The fat trainer left, leaving the American trainer walk to the Pokemon Center.

"Stupid Pokemon", growled the trainer as he looked at the poke ball, "You better do better next time!"

After healing Ninetales, the American trainer spotted another trainer, this time a girl with brown pigtails.

"Oh, Ninetales", said Shaina as she watched his trainer challenging the young girl to a match, "I never knew your trainer was so pushy".

"Pushy?" said Ninetales.

"Try 'biggest jerk'" said Vulpix.

"Hey!" said Colleen, "She's accepted the challenge!"

"And I still get headaches remembering this one", said Ninetales.

"You better do better this time", said the American trainer, "Go, Ninetalesuk!"

Ninetales once again appeared onto the field.

"Go, Rocky!" said the girl trainer as she unleashed a huge Onix.

"Onix", said the American trainer as he looked in his PokeDex, "Says here he's a Rock type. Hmph, let's go! Ninetalesuk, use Fire Spin!"

Ninetales obeyed and fired a flaming vortex, entrapping the Onix inside.

"Rocky, use Rock Tomb!" said the girl trainer.

Onix lifted up two boulder from the ground, which extinguished the vortex and threw them to Ninetales. A direct hit, Ninetales was trapped between them.

"Now, use Rock Throw!"

Onix unearthed more rocks and threw them on Ninetales, who was knocked out again.

"Ninetalesuk, return!" shouted the American trainer.

"Rocky, return!" said the girl trainer, "You should just stay out of the Pokemon competition. It's obvious that you know nothing on determining one's strength's and weaknesses".

The girl trainer left, leaving Ninetales' trainer clutch his poke ball.

"I'll show you…" said the American trainer.

"Ouch", said Vulpix as the American trainer went one last time to the Pokemon Center.

"That was so cruel", said Colleen, touching Ninetales' paw, "Making you take on Pokemon you were weak against".

"Ninetales", said Shaina as she saw that Ninetales was on the verge of tears again, "Don't pay attention to him. You weren't weak, he was".

"Thanks Shaina", said Ninetales as he wiped away a loose tear.

"Hey", said Vulpix, "Here he comes, and now he's challenging a kid who's just caught some Water type Pokemon".

"Is he going to make you fight a Water type?!" said Colleen as the fishing trainer accepted.

"Oh, I wish", said Ninetales as the last battle began.

"Go, Ninetalesuk!" said the American trainer, bringing Ninetales out again.

"Go, Magikarp!" said the fishing trainer. A big red fish with a yellow fin and an open mouth popped out, flopping up and down on the ground.

"Magikarp?" said the American trainer as he checked the PokeDix, "Says here he's a Water type, but is useless in a battle. Geez, its more pathetic than Ninetalesuk. Okay, just Tackle it".

Ninetales tackled the Magikarp, which knocked it out quickly.

"Magikarp, return!" said the fishing trainer as he left, running away.

"You really are pathetic", said the American trainer as he withdrew Ninetales back into the poke ball.

"GRRR…" growled Ninetales as he saw his trainer walk along the park. He held his Poke-ball and looked at it.

"You know! I should train this worthless fox!" said the American trainer, "Lost two battles and only won against a Magikarp! When I see a real challange, he's gonna get it!"

Just then, a nearby bush was destroyed and a giant green bug with wings and scythe-like arms appear out of no-where. The trainer brought his Poke-dex out and pointed at it

"Scyther, the Mantis Pokemon" said the PokeDex, "It uses its razor-sharp arms to attack. It is popular with ninjas as it is a fast moving Pokemon. Special attack is Sword Dance".

"Great", said Ninetales as he saw the trainer reveal himself again, "This is where I got these", refering to the scars on his paw and eye.

"Go! Ninetalesuk!" shouted the American trainer, "Fire Spin!"

Everyone watched as the white fox opened his mouth, but Scyther moved quickly and slashed upon Ninetalesuk. The fox yelled and held his eye. Another slash and Ninetales held his paw. He was in pain.

The girls gasped as they saw blood trickle down Ninetales' eye while Ninetales looked away, not wanting to remember how much the pain caused him.

Scyther started to finish Ninetales off when the trainer brought out Fearow.

"Fearow, Whirlwind!" shouted the American trainer.

Fearow beated its wings and blew Scyther away. He returned Fearow and looked at Ninetales, who was still in pain.

"Pathetic. You are usless!"

He returned Ninetales back into its ball. Then, he spotted a Tangela on a tree. He threw Ninetales' ball again.

"Better not fail me!" said the American trainer.

Ninetales came out, but fell onto the floor. He held his eye and paw and yelled, causing Tangela to run away. Ninetales looked at his trainer to see him so angry!

"You are usless!!You know that! I might as well leave you here to die!"

He brought out 2 balls. He threw one of them to bring out Hypno.

"Hypno, use Hypnosis on that usless Ninetales!"

Hypno's eyes glowed and putted the young white fox to sleep. Hypno went back into its poke ball. The trainer looked at Ninetales and then, his ball. He threw it to the ground and it broke.

"I shouldn't have captured you in the first place!"

After that, Ninetales' trainer turned away and left him behind.

"How sad", cried Shaina, looking at the sleeping Ninetales, then to the one next to her, "How could he treat you like that! You were hurt and he just abandoned you here! That's so sad and inhumane!"

"Humans", said Sasha, "Can't live with them, can't live without them".

"True", said Angel Sasha, "Some humans can be cruel, but there are others who are nice. Believe me, there are".

"Um, if you two are done", said Vulpix, "Here comes trouble with a capital T".

"Wait", said Sasha, "I remember this. When we met Ninetales, Charlie bumped into him when we were running away from a giant Tangela that Belladonna sent after us".

Sure enough, they heard Charlie's voice.

"RUN! ITCH, GET OUT OF THE WAY! ITS USING STUN SPORE!"

"I KNOW THAT, CHARLIE! STOP YELLING IN MY EAR!" shouted Sasha's voice.

"Man, did he scream", said Sasha, soothing her ear.

Just then, they saw Charlie running head on into the sleeping Ninetales.

"OOF!" said Charlie as he awoken Ninetales, who was grumpy for being disturbed.

"A Ninetales?" said Charlie as he saw the Pokemon stare back at him.

"Wait!" said Ninetales, "This is how I met Charlie and you? Odd, I don't remember this at all"

"WHAT!" said Sasha, startled by what Ninetales had said, "But, this is a pretty big memory for you to loose track of!"

"It's because it wasn't him", said Vulpix, "It was He. He took over you for the very first time".

"He?" said Ninetales, "He who?"  
"Ninetales", said Colleen, "Your anger and rage, remember. We just saw him separate from you and run off".

"You mean",. said Ninetales as the giant Tangela began its Stun Spore attack, "My hidden power was the one who did this?"

"Bingo!" said Vulpix as the Ninetales shot a powerful stream of flames.

"Whoa", said Charlie as the Flamethrower made the Stun Spore disappear. Belladonna was shocked. The others looked at Ninetalesuk, surprisingly.

"I knew Belladonna back then, too?!" said Ninetales, "I didn't know about her until after my fight with Shaina, which almost cost me my life".

"What part of He took over you don't you understand?" said Vulpix, "Geez! I think I get more denser as an adult".

"Hey!", said Ninetales, "Insulting me is only insulting yourself, you know".

"D'oh!" said Vulpix.

Ninetales opened his mouth again and a more powerful flame appeared and headed straight to the giant Tangela. Belladonna flew off and headed to the sky.

"Yahh!!!" shouted Belladonna as she disappeared.

"That was Fire Blast, powerful Fire attack ever!" said Charlie.

"How is it you know so much about Pokemon attacks?" said Sasha.

"I need to in order to know whom to bet on at the Pokemon Challenge Arena Nights", said Charlie.

"Figures", said both Sasha and present-day Sasha, "He'll never change".

"Actually", said Ninetales, "He stopped going after he almost lost the last of his winnings".

"By himself?" said Sasha.

"Yep"

"Look", said Angel Sasha, "It's over".

The white fox smiled and fell to floor, tired and fell asleep.

"That was strange", said Charlie, "Why did he just go back to sleep for?"

"He's tired, Charlie", said Sasha, "He used up too much energy on those attacks. Poor guy's probably worn out".

"What should we do?" said Itchy.

"We better take him back to the Café", said Charlie, picking up the Ninetales.

"Here's something I haven't seen you do, Charlie", said Sasha, "Since when are you so helpful?"

"Well", said Charlie, winking at Sasha, "There's a lot you don't know about me. Plus, the Flying Nun told me to pick up a new friend that was supposed to be in the park, a Ninetales".

"Are you sure Annabelle wanted this one?" said Itchy.

"You see any other Ninetales around here, Itch", said Charlie to Itchy's face, "No".

The three friends and the unconscious Ninetales walked off into the direction of the Café.

"At least Charlie had the decency of carrying you", said Sasha as the park dissolved into the Flea Bite backroom, where Charlie, Annabelle, Sasha, Bess and Itchy were looking over the awakening Pokemon. As Ninetales stirred, Annabelle placed her paw on Ninetales' throat and gave him the ability to speak to them.

"Charles", said Annabelle, "I must be going, so please take care of our new friend. Oh, and a job well done, to all of you".

As Annabelle disappeared, Ninetales began waking up.

"So that's why I can speak", said Ninetales, "Annabelle. I was half awake then, so I never knew her till later. Wonder why Annabelle sent Charlie to fetch me?".

"Well", said Colleen, "that was my doing"

"Mom?" said Ninetales, "What do you mean, your doing?"

"We, your father and I, were always watching you grow up without us. We were sad to see that you were still feeling guilty about our deaths, so we planned to meet you, but the trainer caught you. As soon as you arrived in San Francisco, I told Annabelle to help you accommodate to your new life. Annabelle saw you being abandoned, so she sent Charlie and his friends to fetch you and make you their friend".

Ninetales stood speechless.

"Ninetales…" said Colleen, "I'm sorry if you're hurt in any way…"

"No", said Ninetales, "I'm happy you did give Annabelle that mission. I would have never have made it in San Francisco if it wasn't for Charlie and his friends. Thanks".

Ninetales watched as Annabelle put her paw on his throat, making it glow pink for a moment as his memory self was waking up.

"I gave him the ability to communicate with us," said Annabelle, beginning to fade, "Make sure he's well taken care of".

"No problem, Annabelle," said Charlie.

"I was talking to Itchy and Sasha".

"HEY!"

As Ninetales watched Annabelle disappear, Charlie stepped up to his other self.

"How are you feeling?" asked Charlie.

"F-Fine", responded Ninetales, who then jumped up from a fright. "I-I can talk?"

"Long story short, a miracle. Don't ask how, okay".

"T-Thank you", said Ninetales, confused.

"What's your name?" asked Charlie.

"M-My name is Ninetalesuk"

"Ninetalesuk? Whats the uk stand for?" asked Sasha.

"United Kingdom. You see, I use to be a Vulpix and lived in a London Park in England. A trainer from San Francisco appeared and used a Squirtle to weaken and capture me. He won a Fire Stone from another trainer after a battle and used it on me to evolve me into a Ninetales"

"Thus, nicked-name ya Ninetalesuk? Right?" asked Bess.

"Yes. Erm, who are you?"

"Oh, yes. Sorry", apologized Charlie as he pointed out the canines and their names, "I'm Charlie and this is Sasha, Bess, Itchy, and Gerta"

"Nice to meet all of you"

"Why were you in the park?" asked Sasha.

"My trainer fought three other trainers and I only won one"

"What was the battle like?" asked Gerta.

"Strange", said Angel Sasha, looking at the small dog, "I never saw her before?"

"Oh", said Sasha, "That's Gerta. She helps me out at the café. You haven't met her because she went on vacation".

"Where at?" asked Ninetales.

"Postcard she sent me said Palm Springs".

"Well", said Ninetales, "She does deserve a good break after working for quite a while".

"Same here".

"Look", said Vulpix, "You just missed the part about your battles, now it's the part where Charlie offers you his paw of friendship".

Everyone watched as Charlie approached Ninetales.

"Do you have any friends?" asked Charlie.

Ninetales shook his head, "No, I'm all alone"

"We can be your friends", said Sasha, smiling.

"You could?" said Ninetales, his eyes brightening up.

"Yes"

"Th-Thank you. What can I say?"

"Nothing", said Charlie as he lend his paw to Ninetales, who shook it, "Just be yourself"

"Like your crazy ego, Charlie?" said Sasha.

"Yeah. HEY!"

Ninetales laughed. He knows now that he has new friends.

"That was beautiful", said Vulpix, wiping away a tear, "I just love a happy ending".

"What ending?" said Ninetales, "I'm still alive, you know".

"I know", said Vulpix, "But I just can't help myself. That Charlie truly is a best friend anyone can have".

"You know", said Shaina, "It's true. Charlie may be… well, Charlie, but there are some aspects that you have to admire".

"She's right", said Angel Sasha, "This Charlie isn't too far behind from my Charlie. Maybe, with a good habit or two, he'll be exactly like him".

"Could he…?" said Sasha to herself, when suddenly.

"What's that?" said Colleen, pointing to a black hooded person behind them.

"Is that another me?" said Ninetales to Vulpix, but he was cowering behind Colleen.

"No", said Vulpix in a shaky voice, "I-it there… be-belon-belongs to- IT!"

"What?" said Ninetales before the shadow creature swooped over him. Within a second and a scream, Ninetales saw that he caught Shaina and headed out the door.

"SHAINA!" shouted Sasha and Ninetales simultaneously.

The friends ran out the door, just to run into another person Ninetales didn't want to see.

"YOU!" shouted Ninetales, "EQUI!"

The blue-haired teenage sorcerer just stood there, smiling at Ninetales.

"Well, well", said Equi, "If it isn't fox-boy and his troupe".

"Where's my sister?!" snarled Sasha while Angel Sasha unleashed the shield yet again.

"Tut, tut", said Equi, "Ain't you going to offer me a refreshment? A drink or a piece of fruit?"

"Cut the chatter", said Ninetales, "Where's Shaina?"

"Shaina?" said Equi, "Hmm… red setter, about yay-high, pretty eyes, a dot on her left cheek?"

"Yes", said Ninetales, getting annoyed by Equi.

"Nope. Haven't seen her"

"DON'T LIE!"

"Temper, temper. Raising your voice isn't going to get her back, but since you insist, she's lying down over there".

Equi side steps and points to the back, where Shaina was strapped with ice to an ice table, where a huge ice pendulum of doom was swinging back and forth.

"No", said Sasha as she watched the ice pendulum swinging closer to her sister.

Equi approaches a nearby table and takes a bowl of fruit. He bites into an apple.

"Mmm… they say you should eat this five times a day. Anyways, see if you can save her before…" Equi grabs an orange and throws it to the ice pendulum, where it was sliced in two, spilling juice and pulp over Shaina, "… your girlfriend becomes half the canine she once was".

"No", said Ninetales, "This can't be possible. We're dreaming, right?"

As Ninetales shakes his head, Equi reaches into his pocket and pulls out sunglasses. As he puts them on, he laughs.

"That's not going to work", said Equi, "Tell me, when you faced off against Sultrie, what did you feel?"

Ninetales recalled the battle against her, and remembered that he got hurt.

"Pain", said Ninetales.

"Exactly", said Equi, "Have you ever seen the movie, _The Matrix_?"

"Yeah", answered Ninetales, "About a hundred times, thanks to Eevee and the Three Stooges".

"Well, if you can remember what Morpheus said. He stated, and I quote, that the mind can not live without the body, and vice versa. In other words, you die here, you die for real".

"NO! SHAINA!"

Ninetales began running towards the trapped setter, but Equi snapped his fingers. Soon, Ninetales felt the floor shake and… move?

"What's going on?" asked Ninetales.

"Did you really think it was going to be that easy?" said Equi as he formed his ice blade again, "Think again. Fog Outbreak!"

Equi opened his mouth, where a thick fog quickly spilled over the area, covering Ninetales, the females, and Shaina in a blanket of clouds.

"Can't rescue what you can't see".

"EQUI!" shouted Ninetales.

"Shouting helps no one. You have, I say, seven minutes before Shaina's head is going to know her tail more personal".

Ninetales growled as he looked around and saw a tall silhouette.

"GOT YOU!" shouted Ninetales as he breathed flames towards the silhouette. The figure took the hit, but it only melted.

"Wha…" began Ninetales before being kicked in the stomach by Equi.

"Wrong choice", said Equi, "I kind of, forgot to mention. I am an excellent artisan when it comes to ice, so I made a whole collection of ice statues of yours truly. See if you can tell which one is the real me".

As Equi laughed, Colleen, Sasha, and Angel Sasha headed towards the middle, where they tried to stay on balance from the rotating floor.

"Ninetales", said Colleen, "Where are you?"

"Over here", replied Ninetales' voice.

Colleen and the others went towards his voice, where they found him through the fog. As they approached him, he was crying.

"…Shaina, I'm sorry", cried Ninetales.

"Ninetales, please. Don't say that", cried Sasha.

"Come on", said Colleen, slapping Ninetales on his cheek, "We still have time to save her. What we need is a plan, so I expect you to gather up your courage and think of one".

Ninetales looked at his mom, and smiled.

"Thanks", said Ninetales, wiping away his tears, "I needed that".

"Okay", said Angel Sasha, looking out for Equi, "What should we do?"

"How about a separate attack", whispered Ninetales, "One of us is bound to hit the real Equi, so let's go for it".

"Wait", whispered Sasha, "What if either me or… me find him?"

"Call for us", said Ninetales, "Okay, let's go!"

The four separated into the fog and attacked four silhouettes, but to no avail.

"They're all ice sculptures!" said Colleen.

"Not all of them", said Equi's voice.

Ninetales was nearby and saw a silhouette heading straight for a smaller one.

"MOM!" shouted Ninetales, running towards her, "LOOK OUT!"

"Too late!" said Equi, "ICE SLASH!"

Equi slashed his sword, barley missing one of Ninetales' tails. Ninetales got to Colleen just in time to get her away from the attack.

"Are you okay?" said Ninetales.

"Yeah", said Colleen, "Thank you".

"Ninetales", said Sasha as she and Angel Sasha headed straight back to them, "What happened?"

"We were almost ambushed", said Ninetales, getting up.

"We hit ice sculptures", said Angel Sasha, "No Equi".

"Come on", said Ninetales, closing his eyes and concentrating, "Shaina doesn't have much time! What can we do?"

Ninetales looked around, from his mom to the Shield of Purity, reflecting his reflection. Ninetales then struck an idea.

"I got it!" whispered Ninetales, "Listen up, this is going to take perfect timing".

As the friends made a plan, Equi grew impatient.

"Come on", said Equi, "Time's running out for dear little Shaina".

As Equi spoke, he saw them separate again. (It's Equi's fog, so he can see right through it).

"Same tactic again? Come on, give me a challenge".

"Sure thing", said Ninetales, firing his Flamethrower towards an ice sculpture.

"Ha, Déjà vu", said Equi, heading towards Ninetales, "ICE SLASH!"

"FLAMETHROWER!" shouted Colleen as she fired her Flamethrower towards Equi. Equi became shocked to see another stream of flames heading straight for him. He stopped and summoned a water wall, turning the flames to mist.

"Good try, but not good enough", said Equi before he felt something hot hit behind him, "GRAHH!"

Flames hit him directly on his back, singeing him. Equi toppled and fell face down on the moving floor. As the fog began lifting, Equi lifted his head.

"Grrr", he growled, "How… how did you get me?"

Then, he saw it. Angel Sasha and the Shield of Purity, smoking from a fire attack.

"Of course", said Equi, "I was foolish to not see that when you separated, you intentionally fired your attack towards a certain location, knowing I would attack. Therefore, you had the Vulpix fire hers, which made me stop as fox-boy's attack repelled from the Shield and hit me. Clever".

Equi got up, but was in pain.

"Time to end this", said Ninetales, "FIRE SPIN!"

He entrapped Equi in a vortex of flames, causing the fog to lift off completely. As the vortex hurt Equi, Ninetales saw that the pendulum was an inch away from Shaina.

"HOLD ON! FLAMETHROWER!" shouted Ninetales as his attack melted the ice pendulum, making it soak Shaina. Ninetales approached her and used Ember to melt away her ice straps.

"Thanks for rescuing me", said Shaina, giving Ninetales a wet hug, "and for the cold bath".

Ninetales headed back to Equi, where he was badly burned, kneeling and began emitting a white light from his chest, just like Sultrie.

"Good work, fox-boy", said Equi as he began disappearing, "But the Shadow Leech is a lot stronger than you realize. Better watch yourself…"

With that, Equi disappeared, leaving behind a blue card, just like the ones to enter memories.

"What's up with this card?" said Ninetales as he picked it up and examined it, "It looks like the ones we have, but why is it blue?"

"Let's ask your younger self if he knows anything", said Colleen, looking around for the Vulpix, "Um… where is he?"

"Over here", said Angel Sasha, turning the shield back into a bracelet, "He was hiding behind the counter".

Sure enough, Vulpix was lying down low with his paws over his head.

"Is it over?" asked Vulpix, "Is it gone?"

"Yeah", said Ninetales, "He's gone. Why were you hiding and not helping us?"

"What do you expect me to do?" said Vulpix, getting up, "I'm only your joy and sorrow self, not your anger and hatred self. I'm no fighter".

"Whatever", said Ninetales, showing Vulpix the blue card, "What can you tell me about this?"

"What about it?" said Vulpix, "It's just a card to enter another memory".

"Yeah, but Equi dropped it after he disappeared. What does that mean?"

"Nothing. This is a memory that It tried to steal and destroy".

"WHAT!?"

"Don't worry. It can't destroy memories, just make them dark. If you want, you can enter this one without having to fear It coming again".

"A memory with no danger in it", said Shaina, taking the card from Ninetales, "I say we deserve a break from fighting the leech's minions for a while".

Just then, the white door appeared, ready to take them to the room.

"Well", said Ninetales, taking his card back, "What are we waiting for? Let's see what Equi tried taking away from me".

With that, the friends disappeared into the next room.

To Be Continued...


	4. How Ninetales met the Three Stooges

**After an encounter with Equi and his icy attacks, Ninetales finds a blue card to one of his memories, but which one... Let's see!**

Memory Resting Place

The friends entered the familiar blue room with the marble archway, having the door ready to lead them to the next memory, but…

"That's odd", said Ninetales as he stopped in the middle of the room.

"What's odd", said Shaina.

"Where's ShadowMaster?"

"WHAT!?! ARE YOU CRAZY! WHY DO YOU WANT HIM HERE!?"

"First of all, don't scream! It hurts my eardrums. Second, he usually appears here before we enter the next one".

"True", said Sasha, "But remember, he gave you three cards, so we probably have three 'ShadowMaster-Free Cards'. So, let's enter that blue card first".

"Very well", said Ninetales as he approached the door. He held the blue card up, which glowed white and transported them all into another one of Ninetales' memories.

San Francisco Streets

"Were back in San Francisco", said Ninetales as he surveyed the surroundings.

"Wonder which memory this one is?" said Shaina.

"We're about to find out, look", said Colleen, pointing towards memory Ninetales, walking on the sidewalk.

"Wait", said Ninetales, watching himself walk by, "I think I remember this one…"

Memory Ninetales walked on the street when he heard a noise. He stopped and looked back, but saw no one except a few people walking past him. As he turned back, the garbage can popped opened and a little brown Pokemon popped out of it.

"Hi, Ninetalesuk!" said the Pokemon.

"AAAHHH!" yelped Ninetales, pounding on his chest.

"Now I remember", said Ninetales, looking at himself calm down, "This is when I first meet the Three Stooges".

"Funny", said Vulpix, "I thought they were dead".

Ninetales fell.

"Not the original Three Stooges! Jolteon, Vaporeon, and Flareon!"

"Oh, yeah. Don't forget Annabelle".

"She's no Stooge…"

"No, but she's about to introduce herself soon. Now be quiet and watch".

"Eevee", said memory Ninetales, "How many times do I have to tell you: NO POPPING OUT OF NOWHERE LIKE A MAGICIAN!"

"Hmm", said Eevee, "Only three hundred and twenty seven times".

"I don't need a score keeper", said Ninetales, "What are you doing here anyways?"

"Charlie sent me on a secret mission to track … oops".

"Charlie… When I get my paws on him, I'm going to flambé him!"

"Anyways, mind if I hang out with you, please"

Eevee shows off his Bambi-like eyes to Ninetales.

"Eevee, you know that won't work on me, but alright".

"YAY! Where should we go? Golden Gate Park? Or maybe the Bridge? Oh, oh, the beach is nice today, or perhaps take a tour on Alcatraz island, or…"

_Boy_, thought Ninetales, _Eevee sure is an energetic little guy_

"By the way, a pink whippet appeared in your mirror, asking for you".

"A pink whippet? In my mirror? I think it's time you started reading more books and stop watching those anime shows".

"NO! Yu-Gi-OH!'s coming to a close, and there about to premiere a new show called Naruto".

"Naru-wha?"

"Not -wha, -to. Naruto. Watch it, you'll like it. It has a reference of you in it".

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, the show's about a Ninja kid who has a demon Nine-Tailed Fox trapped inside him".

"Demon… Nine-Tailed Fox?"

"Yep. Your pretty popular in Chinese Folklore".

"Eevee, first, the Nine-Tailed Fox is in Japanese Folklore, not Chinese. Second, I'm a Ninetales, a Pokemon, not some legendary fox".

"Who knows. I mean, your white with blue tips while others are tan and brown".

"Ever heard of different colored evolutions?"

"Like pink whippets?"

"No, only some Pokemon can get a different color…"

"No, I mean the pink whippet is back!"

"What?"

"I think she wants to talk to you".

"Where?"

"Behind you", said a voice.

Ninetales turned around and saw the face of a pink whippet smiling at him from a car window.

"Hello, Ninetalesuk", said the pink whippet.

Ninetales stood spellbound to see a whippet talk to him from a car window's reflection.

"Hi, Flying Nun", said Eevee.

"Eevee", said the whippet, "That wasn't nice. My name's Annabelle, not Flying Nun. Where did you hear that from?"

"Charlie", said Eevee.

"I shouldn't have asked", said Annabelle, "Anyways, Ninetalesuk, I need you to go on a mission to find three abandoned Pokemon at an old, run-down amusement place. Think you can handle it?"

Ninetales stared for a few moments before saying, "Sure".

"Thank you. Now if you excuse me, I have a certain Guardian Angel I need to give a good talking to".

With that, Annabelle vanished, leaving Ninetales looking like he saw a ghost.

"Cool! A mission, just like James Bond, or Sherlock Holmes, or from the movies Mission Impossible, National Treasure, or…"

Hearing Eevee, Ninetales snapped out of his trance.

"Wait, Annabelle was it", shouted Ninetales to the car window, "At least put a spell on Eevee so he can be a little more calmer!"

No response. Ninetales couldn't believe he got a mission from an angel and got stuck looking after an energetic Eevee.

Meanwhile, the females, along with Vulpix, were laughing like they never laughed before.

"Ninetales, haha", said Shaina, trying to talk from her laughter, "I (haha) never knew (hahaha) you could be so (hahahahaha)…" Shaina couldn't get the rest out.

"Yeah", said Ninetales, turning red, "Laugh why don't you. It's my fault for picking this memory, out of a lot of them".

While the girls were laughing, the scene suddenly shifted to the abandoned amusement park.

Amusement Park

"Wow", said Eevee, looking at all the broken down rides, "How much is admission?"

"I don't know", said Ninetales, "Let's talk to the cashier, but oh look, there's no one here… or ANYWHERE! This place is a ghost town".

"Actually, Ghost Town is in Knott's Berry Farm"

"Knott's wha?"

"Berry Farm. It's an amusement park bigger than this one, but is down in Southern California".

"So, what about it?"

"That one has Ghost Town".

"Eevee, that's not exactly… whatever, just keep your eyes peeled for any movement".

"Okay".

"Ninetales", said Shaina, now calm and watching Ninetales and Eevee looking around, "How exactly did you meet Eevee?"

"I wish I could forget about that", said Ninetales, "But long story short, found Eevee being bullied by some Murrkrows, so I saved him. Ever since then, he kept following me everywhere. Eventually, he started living with me".

"Didn't he have a trainer?" asked Angel Sasha.

"Nope", said Ninetales, "Apparently, he was a wild Eevee. I asked him about his parents, but he couldn't remember how they looked like or what happened to them. My guess is that they were caught by trainers".

"So", said Shaina, "Eevee's named you his godparent, huh?"

"Something like that".

"Look", said Vulpix, pointing to Eevee and Ninetales, "There about to enter the Hall of Mirrors".

"Oh great. We're about to meet one of the stooges".

Eevee went ahead of Ninetales and peered inside the door of the building.

"Look at all those mirrors", said Eevee, running inside.

"Eevee!" shouted Ninetales, "Be careful in there".

Suddenly, Eevee let out a yell.

"EEVEE!" shouted Ninetales as he barged inside, "WHAT IS IT?!"

"That mirror makes me look fat", said Eevee, staring at his abnormal reflection.

Ninetales fell to the ground.

"EEVEE!" shouted Ninetales, "YOU SCARED ME THERE FOR A SECOND!"

"Sorry", said Eevee, now going to the next mirror, "But that just gave me a surprise, that's all".

Ninetales calmed down and went towards Eevee, who was dancing in front of another mirror.

"Cool", said Eevee, "This one makes my head look big".

"Isn't it already?" mumbled Ninetales.

"And this one makes me look short and squat"

"Eevee, please let's look for the Pokemon, so get back here".

"Hold on, this mirror makes me look blue and fishy".

"Huh?"

"Come here. I think this one makes you into fish".

Ninetales went where Eevee was and saw, not a reflection, but a doorway, with a Vaporeon staring back at him.

"Eevee", said Ninetales to the little brown Pokemon, "That's not your reflection"

"It isn't?" said Eevee, "Than what is it?"

"Me", said the Vaporeon.

"AAHH!" screamed Eevee, "HAUNTED MIRROR!"

"WHERE?!" said the Vaporeon.

Ninetales slapped his forehead.

"Don't tell me I found another Pokemon that's just like Eevee", mumbled Ninetales, "Okay, settle down, the two of you".

Eevee and Vaporeon stopped yelling and looked at Ninetales.

"Who are you guys?" asked the Vaporeon.

"My name is Ninetalesuk", said Ninetales, "but I prefer just Ninetales. This little guy is named Eevee…"

"Pleased to meet you, haunted reflection", said Eevee, shaking paws with the Vaporeon.

"Eevee, he's not a reflection, he's a Pokemon".

"Oh. One of the one's we needed to find?"

"Exactly. Anyways, why are you here?"

"Well, my name's just Vaporeon", said Vaporeon, "And why I'm here is because I was abandoned by my trainer. She liked me when I was like you (pointing to Eevee), but then, she used a Water Stone and made me evolve into Vaporeon. She then didn't like me because I had no more fur, just little scales that's hard to see".

"Why did your trainer give you a Water Stone?" asked Ninetales.

"Her brother was jealous of her, having a cute Eevee. So he falsely told her that a Water Stone would turn me into a blue Eevee".

"Well", said Eevee, "You're blue…"

Vaporeon began crying.

"Nice, Eevee", said Ninetales, "Real nice".

"Sorry", cried Eevee, "I'm sorry for saying that…"

While Eevee tried apologizing to Vaporeon, Shaina went to Ninetales, who had his paw on his face and shaking his head.

"Man, what a day that was", said Ninetales.

"At least now you can have a laugh about it now that it's over", said Shaina.

"True", said Ninetales, "But having them in my house is no longer a laughing matter, since all they do is watch TV and play video games".

"What's wrong with that?" asked Vulpix.

"Nothing if you want to turn your brain to mush".

"Speaking of them", said Shaina, "How exactly did you meet Charleon?"

"I don't even want to talk about that".

"Why not?"

"Let's just say it involved him, me, an ice cream truck, and a pack of hungry Poochyennas".

"You mean, you caused the ice cream panic in the park?"

"How…"

"It made front line news. Sasha kept the page, but all it said was a Ninetales and a Charmeleon were driving the ice cream truck. I never knew it was you"

Shaina began laughing again while Ninetales laid his head low.

"Why do I get stuck with such idiots?" mumbled Ninetales.

Meanwhile, Eevee and Vaporeon got along.

"Well", said Ninetales, "Now that's done with, we need to find two more Pokemon. Do you know who else is here?"

"Yeah", said Vaporeon, "You and him".

"NOT INCLUDING US! Any other ones?"

"Oh, yeah. I saw two other Pokemon, but I don't know what they are. All I know is one's in the old arcade and the other one's inside the haunted house".

"Well, at least we're getting somewhere".

Vaporeon led Eevee and Ninetales to the old arcade, where they saw row after row of broken down video games. Many had their screens broken, some had buttons or joysticks missing, and a lot of them had graffiti on them.

"I wonder how this could have been if it was still open today?" asked Shaina as she looked around the room.

"Probably full of kids trying to get money from their parents to play these games", replied Ninetales.

"You never liked video games?" asked Angel Sasha, examining the machines.

"No, why?"

"Because sometimes me and Charlie go to Bess, Itchy and Flo's house to play a round or two of one of their video games".

"How many do they have?" asked Vulpix.

"Around fifty, give or take".

"Wow! What system?"

"Hmm… If I recall, they have four: an Xbox, a Playstation 2, a Nintendo 64, and a Gamecube. They're planning to buy the new one coming out soon, the…"

"Hate to interrupt", said Ninetales, "But can we continue?"

"Sure".

Just as they ended their game talk, Eevee and Vaporeon spotted that some of the games and vending machines were on.

"Free pop", said Eevee as he pushed a button and a can of cola came out. As he opened it, Ninetales quickly grabbed it away.

"Hey! That's mine!"

"Eevee, the last thing you need in your life is caffeinated beverages", said Ninetales as he tossed the can to Vaporeon, "Stick to your regular drinks, alright".

Grumbling, Eevee agreed. Vaporeon, drinking the soda, belched.

"…excuse me…" said Vaporeon as he tossed the can into a garbage can. Just as Ninetales was about to talk to Vaporeon, he spotted Eevee playing a video game.

"Eevee", said Ninetales, "Just how did you turn this one on?"

"Beats me", said Eevee, "But these joysticks have been through enough already. Hey Ninetales, how about you call winner, huh?"

"Eevee, did you forget that we need to find two other Pokemon here, or did trying to get a high score on this old game made you forget about it?"

"Oh, well, I'm almost done beating him anyways, so hold on".

Ninetales groaned and went back to try and pull the cord off, but he noticed that the cord wasn't even plugged in.

"Eevee…" started Ninetales.

"YES!" shouted Eevee with glee, "NEW HIGH SCORE! Name: Eevee the Great… no, the Master,…no, the Best Gamer of…"

"EEVEE!"

"What?"

Ninetales shows Eevee the cord to the game.

"You did know that this one wasn't plugged in, right?"

"No…"

Eevee backed away from entering his high score, along with Vaporeon. Ninetales saw their faces, sighed, and explained to them.

"No, you two. This isn't haunted, this is the work of an electric Pokemon. Question is, where is it?"

As he asked the two frightened looking Pokemon, Ninetales caught sight of a flash at the last row of video games. Ninetales went up first, Eevee and Vaporeon tagging along from a distance. Just as Ninetales reached the last row, he heard a voice.

"Yes, take that, evil alien ships!"

Ninetales peered behind the machines to see a Jolteon sending sparks from his spiky fur and charging the machines around him. He was too busy playing that he didn't notice a Ninetales, Eevee or a Vaporeon walk up to him.

"Um", said Ninetales, "Excuse me?"

"Wait your turn", said Jolteon, "I'm trying to beat the last level".

"I call next!" said Eevee.

"No, I call next!" said Vaporeon.

"No one calls next, all right", said Ninetales as Jolteon finished the last level.

"YES! I FINALLY DEFEATED THE BOSS!" shouted Jolteon with joy.

"Ahem", said Ninetales.

Jolteon turned and saw Ninetales, Eevee, and Vaporeon staring at him. Ninetales saw that Jolteon's eyes were tired with bags under his eyes.

"Hi, friend. My name's Ninetalesuk, but everyone calls me just Ninetales. This is Eevee and Vaporeon. Who are you?"

"Me? Well, my name's Jolteon, but everyone calls me just Jolteon".

"Okay… Why are you here?"

"I was left here by my old trainer, Jeff. Used to be an Eevee like him, but…"

"Your trainer used a Thunder Stone on you and he didn't like you anymore"

"Yeah, that's it! How did you know?"

Ninetales looked at Vaporeon, "Lucky guess".

"Anyways, he used it on me and evolved me into Jolteon. He loved me when I was huggable, but since I have spiky fur, he couldn't touch me anymore. He just came by here and left me, saying he was sorry for it, and left. Been here for almost a week, doing nothing but exploring, seeing another Pokemon being left here, and playing video games".

"Another Pokemon? Where?"

"Last time I saw him, he went into that old Haunted House".

Ninetales was about to ask what the Pokemon was until…

"Have you been up all night playing this video game?" asked Ninetales.

"Of course not", said Jolteon, "Nobody stays up all night for a video game".

"Okay, then why are you tired?"

"I stayed up three nights in a row, that's why"

Ninetales, Eevee, and Vaporeon fell to the floor.

Once again, all the females started laughing again, leaving Ninetales feeling quite embarrassed.

"Okay", said Ninetales to Shaina, who was laughing the hardest, "I know that its all funny, but did you forget that I need to get a leech out of me before it can become stronger?"

"Okay (hahaha)", replied Shaina, calming down, "It's just that (hehehe), you had quite some funny times, that's all".

"Looks like your going to the Haunted House", said Vulpix, pointing to the leaving group of Pokemon.

Ninetales, Eevee, Vaporeon, and Jolteon, who was having trouble adjusting to the brightness of day, walked to a house that looked abandoned for years. The windows were boarded up, the gate was broken down, the lawn was a jungle full of tall weeds, and the front door was wide open. Ninetales began climbing the steps into the house when he noticed that he was three heads short. He looked back and saw the others looking back at him.

"Ain't you three coming?" asked Ninetales.

"No way", said Eevee, "There could be zombies, or ghosts, or vampires, or …"

"Okay, what about you?"

"Don't deal with haunted houses well", said Vaporeon, "So I'm setting this one out".

Ninetales groaned. "Chickens. What about you?"

"ZZZZZZ…" replied Jolteon. Because he was up three nights, he fell asleep on the cool grass in the warm sun.

"Never mind. Usually you come with me, Eevee".

"I'm not going in", said Eevee, "unless Buffy, Van Helsing, or a Ghostbuster is here with me".

"Eevee, this is a ride, it's fake. The only real thing in there is the last Pokemon, otherwise, it's completely fake".

"Still not going".

"Suit yourself".

Ninetales walked into the house alone, with only himself and girls coming in with him.

"You may not like this", said Ninetales as Shaina got closer to him as Vulpix got closer to Colleen as they followed the memory Ninetales down the gloomy hallway.

"I know it's just a memory, Ninetales…" said Shaina as she saw cob-webbed pictures of people and Pokemon, their eyes following her, "…but this is still scaring me".

"Me too", said Vulpix, hugging Colleen.

Colleen smiled to see Vulpix hug her like that.

"This brings back memories", said Colleen.

Just then, memory Ninetales turned a corner and shouted.

"WHOA!"

Ninetales fell through a trap door and headed down a slide, where he bumped his head with a skeleton. Ninetales brushed off the false skeleton and looked for a way out, which was another door.

"Pathetic", said Ninetales as he opened the door, "Just a plastic one. I can't believe that Eevee and the others were scared to come in here".

Ninetales walked down two hallways, opening door upon door to reveal a lot of spooky things: ghosts in sheets, skeletons playing a band, a zombie with its head missing and sparks flying out of it, a spring where a Dracula voice was heard. Ninetales saw that this place was as broken down as the last two. Just then, he heard whimpering behind a door to the right of him. Opening the door, he saw that he was in a master bedroom, with skeletons lying on the bed. He then saw a most peculiar sight: a lump covered by a sheet was trembling hard and whimpering. He walked up to the sheet and pulled it off.

"AAAHHHH!"

Ninetales came face to face with a screaming Flareon, who went crouching against the wall.

"GHOSTLY NINETALES!"

"I'm not a ghost", said Ninetales, trying to calm down the scared Flareon, "I'm a friend".

"Wh…why…are you white?" said Flareon.

"I had a different colored evolution. My names Ninetalesuk, but you can call me Ninetales".

"My name's Flareon", said Flareon.

"Pleased to meet you. Why are you here?"

"Well, I wanted to check out this house, so I decided to enter it and…"

"No, no. Why are you here, in this old theme park, in the first place?"

"Oh. Well, let's just say…"

"Your trainer abandoned you?"

"Something like that"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, that I had twin trainers. They kept fighting over me as an Eevee, then even harder when I evolved. Their parents and I couldn't stand them, so they decided to give me up to the Pokemon Center. Before I knew it, my ball was tossed out of the car and broke, releasing me and freeing me. I couldn't return home so I could be divided into two, so I walked around until I found this place".

"So, why didn't you just got out of this place?"

"Because I had no where else to go, so this park was good…"

"No, no. I meant why didn't you get out of the haunted house?"

"Oh. I was too scared to get out".

"Come on, we can do it. I'll be here besides you. Besides, I didn't get scared coming in since the house is mostly broken down".

"Not even once?"

"Well, that trap door did surprise me, otherwise, no".

As memory Ninetales got Flareon to follow him, Shaina smiled at Ninetales.

"Who knew you were so sweet to him?"

"Well", said Ninetales, "This was before Flareon met the other three. Anyways, I got him out and then, we just went home".

"Then why isn't there a doorway, like the last one?"

"That's because it isn't done yet", said Vulpix, "We better follow them out of here. This place gives me the willies, even if it is broken down".

Ninetales and the others followed memory Ninetales and Flareon out to the patio.

"So, you're not scared of anything?" said Flareon as Ninetales reached for the doorknob.

"Nope", said Ninetales as he opened the door, "I am completely unafraid…"

"Hi, Ninetales", said Eevee, popping upside down from the doorway.

"AAHHH!" shouted Ninetales and Flareon as they jumped back. Calming down from the sudden shock, Ninetales faced the upside-down Eevee.

"Eevee…" began Ninetales.

"Wait", said Eevee, "Don't tell me: stop doing that?"

"…yes…"

"And I did it again, huh?"

"And why don't you get it through your head?"

"Don't know. Sugar can really do stuff to me".

"Ugh!"

"By the way: Me Spider Man, you Mary Jane"

"True", said Flareon, "After all, you are in that sequence when Spider Man kisses…"

Ninetales glared at Flareon with the look "Don't even think about it". Then, he took Eevee down.

"Aw, Ninetales", said Eevee, "That was the good part".

"Forget it, Eevee", said Ninetales, "All I know is that this mission is over. There's the three Pokemon and now, let's get going".

"You'd do it if you were pretending to be Spider Man and Mary Jane was a girl, right?" said Flareon as Ninetales got Jolteon on his back. Ninetales stood silent.

"A girl, right", said Ninetales as he walked away, carrying the sleeping Pokemon.

"Gee", said Flareon as he, Eevee, and Vaporeon followed, "Was it something I said?"

As the friends left, the white doorway appeared before Ninetales and the others.

"Ninetales?" asked Shaina, looking into his eyes, "What happened right there, where Flareon asked you about a girl?"

"Nothing", said Ninetales, "Just self-doubt that I wouldn't find love. Well, that's in the past now".

"True", said Shaina as she kissed him again, "After all, you did find love, didn't you?"

"Yeah, you".

"Ahem", said Vulpix, "I know this is touching and all, but right now, we need to keep going".

"Um", said Shaina, "Give us a minute to talk a little more".

"Fine, sis", said Sasha, "Take your time".

As the canines and Pokemon were talking, the same cloaked figure who kidnapped Shaina appeared above them.

"Grrr", it growled, "They are beginning to be a nuisance to me, especially Ninetalesuk".

Just then, two more cloaked figures appeared: one standing on two legs while the other was on all fours. They each held blue and green cards.

"Master", said both, "We give you more of Ninetales' memories and dreams".

"Excellent work, my subjects, but right now, I have to find a way to deal with Ninetales before it's too late".

"Don't worry master", said the four legged one with a voice of a wicked familiar female, "After all, you did regenerate from his painful memories, especially the one where he was tortured".

"Unfortunately, he came and took it before I was able to become fully regenerated. Worse of all, he gave it to Ninetalesuk!"

The first figure dug his gloved claw into the building roof, giving it a new hole.

"Calm down", said the two legged one with a voice familiar to another, "After all, you still have us, creations of what Ninetales once remembered".

"Yes, but do you think you'll be able to eliminate him, unlike the others?"

"I won't fail you. I am unlike the first two. I'll strike Ninetales when the time is right".

"Excellent. Incidentally, have any of you two found him yet?"

"We are still searching", said the female, "But he's very clever at concealing his whereabouts. The only times he appears are to Ninetales".

"It doesn't matter. Right now, he and the others are heading into the next memory. The more happier Ninetales' heart gets, the more difficult it would be for me".

"Leave him to me". With that, the female figure disappeared.

"If she fails", said the other figure as he too disappeared, "I won't".

"Ninetales", said the first one. He watched as Ninetales and the others entered the doorway, "We will meet soon enough".

With that, he too disappeared.

To Be Continued...


	5. When a Ninetales meets a woman

**What a Memory Ninetales and the girls went through, the first time Eevee and Ninetales met Jolteon, Flareon, and Vaporeon. Just when they thought it was tranquil, above them stood some ominous figures... What they have planned is nothing good... then again, evil plans never are...**

Memory Resting Place

"Yodeliaheho!" shouted Vulpix.

"What was that supposed to be about?" said Ninetales.

"I wanted to see if this place had an echo in it".

"Where to next?" asked Shaina, looking at Ninetales.

Ninetales looked at the last of the two cards, one seemed to have blinked at him.

"I guess we take this one", said Ninetales, taking the card in front of him and examining it.  
"Why say that?" asked Angel Sasha.

"Don't know, but I just have a strong feeling about it, that's all".

"Then what are we waiting for?" asked Sasha, already by the archway, "Just put that baby here and let's go!"

"You been hanging around Charlie too long, huh sis?" said Shaina.

"We… I mean… us… oh", mumbled Sasha, turning red on her cheeks.

Ninetales and the others chuckled as he showed the card to the doorway. With the same bright light, the door opened and they entered the next memory.

Golden Gate Park

"Déjà vu", said Vulpix as they saw that they were back in Golden Gate Park.

"This place seems to be quite the popular site with us, huh?" said Shaina.

"Tell me about it", said Sasha, "I think it's time we go to different places, like Fisherman's Wharf or Treasure Island".

"There's such a place?" asked Colleen.

"Yeah. It's the checkpoint for the Bay Bridge, where it goes from San Fran to Oakland".

"Well, now that's settled, I see a familiar group coming this way", said Ninetales.

Sure enough, Ninetales spots himself with Charlie and Itchy.

"Charlie", said Ninetales, "Are you sure that we're allowed to take a break every five minutes?"

"Of course", said Charlie, lying down on the grass, "What the Flying Nun doesn't know, can't hurt her, right?"

"Actually, Charlie", said Itchy, "Remember what Annabelle said about calling her Flying Nun?"

"Oh yeah. Somehow she knew that someone said that to her. Thing is, who?"

Ninetales looks away and mutters to himself, "Isn't it obvious?".

"Who do you think, Itchy?"

"Gee, Charlie", said Itchy, "It could be anyone".

Ninetales sighed. "It was Eevee".

Charlie got up quickly, "EEVEE!?"

"On the day I met Ed, Edd, and Eddy".

"You met the Ed boys?" said Itchy.

"No, I mean Flareon, Jolteon, and Vaporeon. Eevee told Annabelle your little nickname to her".

"Eevee…" snarled Charlie, "When I do catch him, I'm shipping him to Mongolia".

"What do you mean 'do'?"

"Oh, that little guy's pretty quick. He's able to outrun me".

Ninetales sighs, "The things I have to do to save his butt... Itchy, cover your eyes... Now"

Ninetales gulped as he knew what he was about to do, "Ah...I wonder if my memory can actually effect us".

"Charlie…" said Ninetales as Itchy covered his eyes.

"What?" said Charlie.

Ninetales closed his eyes, then opens them and they glowed blue, "Do you really wanna hurt Eevee?"

Charlie, his eyes glowing blue, slowly said, "Ye…no…"

"Better yet, Charlie... forget everything about…" Ninetales shrugs at his thought, "Tempting…"

Meanwhile, Ninetales saw that his memory self didn't affect him.

" Hmm…" said Ninetales "looks like my memory's self using hypnosis didn't effect us…" Ninetales looks around and falls, "I was wrong…"

The females were all showing blue eyes, while Vulpix was just staring into space.

Ninetales snaps his fingers in front of them, "Snap out of it!"

The females all just said the same thing, "...forget everything about…"

Ninetales falls, "Oh great". Getting up, he approaches Colleen and shakes her, "Mum!!!"

Colleen just stared and said, "... forget…"

"Not working huh?" said a voice behind him.

Ninetales jumps around and sees Vulpix, "GAH! How... How…"

"How did I snap out of it?"

"Yes!"

"Forgot? I'm you! If your not hypnotized, then I'm immune, duh"

"Then, why did you looked hypnotized earlier?!"

"Oh... Got bored so I started daydreaming"

Ninetales falls, "Great, a daydream state" Ninetales goes and shakes Shaina, "Shaina? What are you gonna forget?"

"Don't you remember what you wanted Charlie to do?"

Ninetales let's go of Shaina, "They're gonna forget Eevee?"

"Looks like it. When they get back, they see Eevee and say to you again: 'Ninetales, who's your little friend?', unless…"

"Unless what?"

"You were able to hypnotize the victim, but they snapped out of it when... Well…"

Just then, they heard Charlie yelling "OW!"

"…that"

Ninetales and Vulpix stared as Charlie put out the ember on his tail and stared at Ninetales.

"WHAT WAS THAT FOR?!" shouted Charlie, angry that his tail caught fire.

"Sorry Charlie", apologized Ninetales, "but you wouldn't come out of your hypnosis, so i kind of…"

"Flambéed my tail?!"

"Sort of. I had to sneeze and, the rest writes itself"

"Too bad mama has flash fire", said Vulpix to Ninetales.

"So how do I snap her out of it?" asked Ninetales.

"Out of what?" said a voice.

"BWAH!" yelped Ninetales as he saw Colleen looking at him, "Mom! How did you get out of the trance?"

"Simple", said Colleen, "It wore off".

Sasha, Shaina, and Angel Sasha, confused at what happened, joined them.

"I was never a good hypnotist", said Vulpix, "My hypnosis reeked".

Ninetales glared at his young self, "Can't believe I'm gonna say this, but I'm gonna kill myself…"

"AAHH!"

Vulpix runs behind Colleen and hides from Ninetales. Colleen looked at him and smiled.

"You know", she said, "you used to do that when a Pidgey flew out of the bushes and surprised you once".

"Really?" said Shaina, "Ninetales, that's cute"

Ninetales' face turned scarlet, "I was only a few days old. I was new to the world, so I didn't know anything".

"What happened just now?" said Angel Sasha.

"Oh nothing, except that your minds went off to la-la land…"

"Not the hypnosis. Where did you guys go?"

"What do you mean?"

"She means your memory self", said Colleen, "Where did you go?"

Ninetales and the others started searching, but then, Vulpix spotted them. Ninetales watches himself talking to Charlie on forgetting about Eevee.

"I'm really going to get him one of these days", growled Charlie.

"C'mon", said Ninetales, "Are you going to let him get to you? I mean, he's only two months old".

"That's old enough for me!"

After a long discussion, Ninetales won and Charlie calmed down from trying to get Eevee. As the three friends looked at the lake, Ninetales had a worried look on his face. Charlie spotted it.

"Penny for your thoughts", said Charlie.

"Charlie", said Ninetales, turning towards the Sheppard, "I want to ask you something"

"Sure... What is it?"

"How exactly did you meet Sasha? And why try winning her heart?"

Sasha perked her ears and turned towards Ninetales. Ninetales face turned from scarlet to crimson.

"This is going to be good", said Sasha, "I can feel it".

"Not only that", said Ninetales, "But this is the first day I met Shaina"

"Really?" said Shaina, "Odd, though, that this is the same place and time. Where am I anyways?"

"You'll appear later, believe me".

"Well", said Charlie, feeling a knot in his throat, "I could answer them, but…"

"But what?" asked Ninetales.

"It's…umm… difficult for me to tell you".

"Sasha could tell you", said Itchy, "Whatever he said to her usually gets him deep trouble"

"You should have come to me first, you know", said Sasha to Ninetales, "I could tell you what I think of him"

"Not the same way Charlie is going to say about you", said Ninetales slyly.

Sasha perked her ears again, "What do you mean?"

"Well" , said memory Ninetales, "I think whatever you say or think about her isn't all garbage. Tell me, really, what do you see in her? What made you fall in love with her? Come on, Charlie... tell me"

"Well", said Charlie, his cheeks growing warm, "If you want to know, but promise me that you'll never tell her what I'm about to say, especially you Itchy"

"Don't worry", said Itchy, "Your my best friend, Charlie, you can trust me".

"If you insist. When I first met Sasha, well, the first thing that happened was that my heart leaped into my throat, my mind went from blank to only her, and i sort of almost lost my balance. She was the most beautiful person i ever saw"

"Didn't Sasha notice that?" asked Ninetales.

"No, since I was a ghost at the time"

"Angels on our first mission", said Itchy

Sasha stood silent to hear what Charlie just said

"Ninetales", asked Sasha, "Is what Charlie said true?"

"True as can be", replied Ninetales, "After all, this is my memory"

"I never knew he met me as an angel"

"Ghost is more like it"

They were interrupted when Charlie continued his story.

"I know, it doesn't sound like me", said Charlie, "but I told you not to tell anyone else this, especially Sasha"

"Why not?" asked Ninetales

"Because he's shy", said Itchy.

"I swear to you, if you tell Sasha about this, I'll…" began Charlie.

"Don't worry", said Ninetales, "I'll keep it a secret if you wish"

"Promise?"

"Yeah, I promise"

Ninetales gulped to hear what he said to Charlie. He turned towards Sasha, "I wonder if this counts as keeping or breaking my promise?"

"I don't know", said Vulpix, "All I have to say is Sasha now knows"

Ninetales smirked, "Shall you keep this a secret about finding out the truth, Sash?"

Sasha smiled and said, "Sure thing".

Angel Sasha came over to Sasha's side, "See, I told you that your Charlie is like mine, except mine expresses his feelings more".

"So", said Sasha, "how do I make mine express his?"

"Through fear?" suggested Ninetales.

"Well", said Angel Sasha, getting Sasha to walk with her, "Come over here and I'll tell you how".

As Sasha and Angel Sasha go to talk, Ninetales and the others continue watch as Charlie finishes.

"Anyways", said Charlie , "Why ask me about how I met Sasha?"

Ninetales looked out into the pond's surface, "Just... something that's bothering me…"

"What is it?" asked Charlie, smiling slyly.

"Can't really say…"

"Does it have something to do with a... girl?"

Ninetales coughed and choked, "Maybe…"

"Come on, tell me. I told you mine, now why not yours?"

"No point... I don't think I'll find mine…"

"What do you mean? After all, who doesn't like you? (Mutters) except your trainer"

"It's just that... i don't know…"

"Is it the scars thing?"

"Maybe…"

"What's wrong with them? I mean, and may be cliché, its what's inside that counts".

"I see.…"

"Why? U have someone in mind? HMM…"

"No…"

"You mean, not yet, right?" said Itchy.

"Yeah", said Ninetales, "Whatever you say Itchy... whatever you say".

Ninetales gets up and continues to watch the sun's brilliant rays reflecting from the pond's surface.

"Gee, what's with him?" said Charlie.

"Was it something I said?" said Itchy.

Shaina watched as the memory Ninetales sulked, "Poor Ninetales".

"Yeah", said the present Ninetales, I thought that i wouldn't find anyone to love, or at least like more than a friend".

"Like Charlie and Sasha, Itchy and Bess, and Eevee and Anime", listed Vulpix.

Ninetales smirked, "Never met her before".

Charlie walked and patted memory Ninetales on the back., "Ninetales, buddy, cheer up. The right girl would come, just give it time".

Ninetales looked up and said, "I'm sure, Charlie... I just hate waiting…"

Just then, they heard a scream.

"What was that?" said Itchy, shaking.

A voice of terror filled the still afternoon air, "HELP!"

"Someone's in trouble", said Charlie, "But where is it coming from?"

Ninetales perked his ears up, "OVER THERE!"

Ninetales rushes off to the person in danger.

"Hold on!" shouted Charlie as he chased after Ninetales.

"Short legs here!" shouted Itchy, trying to catch up with the others.

"LOOK!" shouted Charlie as he pointed to a cloaked person, canine by the way she was running, and having a Beedrill was closing in on her from behind.

"Grr…" growled Ninetales, his fur prickling up.

"How are we going to help her when there's a Beedrill?" asked Itchy, "I HATE BEEDRILL!"

"Itchy... what types are Beedrill?"

"They're Bug-type…", Itchy slaps his forehead, "Oh yeah! You're a Fire-type, so you're strong against Bug-types!"

"Hate to interrupt", said Charlie, "But what about her?"

Before Charlie knew what happened, Ninetales used Quick Attack and stood between the cloaked figure and the Beedrill, "Are you okay?!"

The cloaked canine looked up at Ninetales and nodded. She see's Ninetales as the sun's rays made his fur sparkle. Ninetales turned towards the Beedrill and a stream of flames emits from his mouth, burning the Beedrill. Burned, the Beedrill retreats in the opposite direction. Ninetales lends his paw and picks the person up.

"Thank you so much", said the cloaked canine.

"Don't mention it", said Ninetales, "What caused that Beedrill to chase you?"

"I'm such a klutz. I'm new around here and let's just say i tripped over a branch, rolled down a hill, and landed next to a Kakuna".

"Ah, it writes itself afterwards", said Charlie, "Kakuna evolved, saw you, and chased you, right?"

"You've done that before, Charlie?" asked Ninetales.

"Um... Once…"

"or five times", interrupted Itchy, laughing.

"Let's not overexaggurate, okay. I'm not that stupid".

"Right", said Ninetales sarcastically.

"He's got you there", laughed Itchy, then he turned towards the hooded dog, "Anyways, what's your name?"

"Oh, forgive me", apologized the cloaked figure, taking her hood off, "My name's…"

"Sasha?!" said Charlie instantly.

The hooded canine was an Irish Setter that strongly resembled Sasha, but with a black dot on her left cheek and a different tone of voice.

"Sasha?" said the setter, "No, my name's Shaina, Shaina LaFleur"

"LaFleur?!" said Charlie and Itchy.

"Yes, why? What's wrong with it?"

"Our friend, Sasha, got the last name as LaFleur!" said Itchy.

"Really? Well, it may be just coincidence. I mean, after all, i lived in Oakland until yesterday".

"Why?"

"I lived with a sweet lady once, ever since i can remember. It was a good life until…"

Shaina began crying.

"Oh, I'm so sorry…"

"Well", said Charlie, "Can you remember your parents' names?"

Shaina stopped crying, wiped her tears off, and said, "Uh-huh. I remember seeing it on my Adoption Papers. It was William Arnold and Jaycie LaFleur".

"That's Sasha's parents as well!!!"

Shaina threw her head back with shock, "What!?! Are you sure?!"

"Yeah!", said Itchy, "That's right! Isn't that true, Ninetales?!"

"Ninetales?" said Charlie as he looked at Ninetales.

Ninetales' whole body was very still, his eyes were out of focus, and he wasn't blinking.

Ninetales looked embarrassed seeing himself act like that. Shaina stood by him, giggling at the scene.

"I remember that all so well", she said, "You were speechless, weren't you?"

Ninetales scratched his head out of embarrasment, "I must have looks like a total idiot there",

"You can say that again", said Vulpix.

Ninetales glared at his younger self.

"What?"

"You're insulting yourself, you know", said Ninetales.

"I know, but at least it's past. You're still not doing it, are you?"

"What do you think?"

"Guess not".

"Nope... isn't that right, Shaina?"

Shaina smiled, "I don't know, Ninetales".

Ninetales grabbed her and held her close, "Don't start…"

Meanwhile, Charlie was busy waving his paw in front of memory Ninetales, "Hello? Hmm... Lights are on, but no one's home".

"When did he conk out?" asked Itchy.

Charlie looks closer at Ninetales, "I'd say somewhere when Shaina took her hood off to where she said her name".

"So... he might really like Shaina?"

"Hold on…"

Charlie steps on Ninetales' paw, but Ninetales didn't flinch or move, just said, "ow". Then, Charlie steps on one of Ninetales' tails, but no dice.

"Guess he really likes you", said Charlie, giving up.

"I'm gonna have a chat with him when we get back", said Ninetales.

"Didn't you already chat with him?" said Shaina.

"Not when he stepped on my paw AND tail!".

"Give him a good one", said Vulpix., but first, back to the lifeless you…"

"WHAT!" shouted memory Ninetales.

"Or not".

Ninetales runs off in the direction of his home.

"Gee, say Charleon has your CD's and off he goes", said Itchy.

"You do know what he's going to do to him, don't you?" asked Charlie.

"Erm... tear him into pieces...?"

Ninetales was in deep thought when he saw himself running off.

"Um... exactly what did you do to Charleon?" asked Shaina.

"The usual", said Ninetales, "Hanging him over a pool of water... except, that time, I was hanging him over a large photograph of a pool".

"How'd you get the large photograph?" asked Sasha.

"While you ask that, why not ask how Flareon was able to lead a pack of Miltank into the cafe WITHOUT anyone noticing?"

"HE DID WHAT?! WHEN DID THIS HAPPEN?!?" shouted Sasha going ballistic.

"When you spending a weekend off to spend time with Shaina".

"And why are you now telling us this, hmm?" said Shaina.

"She's got you there", said Vulpix.

"Us?" said Ninetales.

"Actually... hmm, your right, us".

"Well, I thought you know... because when you came back, you said "I know what you did'".

"That's not what i meant".

"...It's not?"

"Well", said Vulpix, "it looks like to me you aren't watching this memory seriously after what we said what Charlie's condition is in".

Just then, the area swirled in a blur of color until it turned into Ninetales' home. They spot Flareon and Vaporeon playing Duel Monsters in the living room rug.

"I summon Lava Golem to your side of the field", said Flareon, playing his move.

"Okay, what's he do?" asked Vaporeon.

"Didn't you see the episode of Yami Marik vs. Joey?"

"Ah... Drippy and legendary Miltank leader", said Vulpix.

"Yeah", said Ninetales.

"And there's I can't talk to a girl without fainting'".

Ninetales holds Shaina close, "Which doesn't effect me any more".

They see memory Ninetales talking to Charlie, and freaking out at the same time.

"I don't know what happened to me", said Ninetales, "One minute she took off her hood and the next, blank".

"Geez, Ninetales", said Charlie, "You fainted standing up. Never saw that happen to you before".

"Well... I... you see... who was she again?"

"You're not going to believe this, but Shaina is Sasha's sister!"

"Who and Who!?"

"The canine you saved is Shaina LaFleur. I mistook her for Sasha because it so happens that they're sisters!"

"I couldn't believe it either", said Itchy.

"So", said Ninetales, "How come I went blank if she looks like Sasha? I don't do that to Sasha herself".

"Beats me", said Charlie.

"Maybe you saw something of her that me or Charlie didn't see", said Itchy, "Like I did with Bess"

"I'm scared to ask, but... What?" asked Ninetales.

"Simple", said Charlie, "It's love".

"Nine!!!"

"There's no doubt about it. Ninetales, you're in love".

"With Sasha's sister", said Itchy.

Ninetales gulped.

"What's wrong with that?" asked Charlie, "At least it ain't Sasha".

"Well... I... I... I…" stuttered Ninetales.

"Come on. At least now you have a girl you like".

"Yeah, but she's a canine and I'm a Pokemon. I don't think I can be with her".

"You'll never know if you don't talk to her. Come on, let's go meet her at the Flea Bite".

Ninetales hides behind the couch, "No thanks. I can't face her after what I did in front of her".

"Ninetales", said Shaina, "Why were you so shy to see me? It wasn't like I was going to bite you or anything".

"Long story", said Ninetales as he saw himself being pulled by his tails.

"You do know about my curse, right?" said memory Ninetales as he went from couch to stairs.

"Yeah, yeah", said Charlie as he and Itchy were pulling a tail each, "Only in effect if it's a joke; this is for your own good, now let go".

"I'll go see her… in about two Christmases".

"No, now. EEVEE, ED, EDD, EDDY…"

"Hey!" said Vaporeon, Jolteon, and Flareon.

"… WE NEED HELP HERE! GRAB A TAIL AND PULL!"

As the friends grabbed a tail, they pulled until Ninetales was scratching the floorboard. Just then, Charleon walked in.

"Hey guys", said Charleon as he sees everyone pulling on Ninetales' tails, "Are we playing a game here? If we are, I call next!"

"NO, WE'RE NOT!" grunted Charlie as he kept pulling.

"Then what are you playing?"

"WE'RE NOT PLAYING ANYTHING! WE'RE TRYING TO GET NINETALES TO MEET WITH SASHA'S SISTER AT THE CAFÉ!"

"Sasha has a sister?"

"YES! AND NINETALES' SHY TO HER SINCE HE LIKES HER!"

"Isn't that cute. Ninetales' in love".

"I'M NOT GOING WITH THAT UGLY, EARTH-FORSAKEN CREATURE OF THE BLACK LAGOON!" shouted Ninetales, not letting his claws out of the floorboards.

"I thought you liked Shaina?" said Itchy.

"I WAS TALKING ABOUT CHARLEON!"

"HEY!" said Charleon, "That's it. If you want something done right", Charleon's claws glowed white, "You have to do it yourself. METAL CLAW!"

Using his glowing claws, Charleon cut through the floorboard, making Ninetales be on a piece of cut wood. "Now that's what I call a Ninetales Pizza".

"Okay", said Charlie, "LIFT!"

"They lifted the floorboard, with Ninetales still clung on to it.

"Amazing that Charleon cut through the floorboard without hitting the pipes and causing leaks", said Eevee, looking at the floor where the piece was missing.

"Nope", said Charleon, "That's Vaporeon who leaks".

"What did you say?" said Vaporeon, growing mad.

"Blub, blub", said Jolteon.

Before he knew it, Vaporeon fired his Water Gun straight for Jolteon. Jolteon and the others dodged out of the way, making the attack hit Ninetales.

"…oops…" said Vaporeon, seeing Ninetales turn the water to steam.

"VA…POR…EON!" growled Ninetales.

"RUN, VAPOREON, RUN!!!" shouted Charlie, "HEAD TOWARDS THE CAFÉ!"

"AAAHHH!" shouted Vaporeon as he ran out the door, Ninetales closely following him.

"I never seen you so angry over some water", said Shaina.

"It was getting annoying", said Ninetales, "Everyday, I get hit with Vaporeon's Water Gun just because the others call him 'Blubby' or whatever. I got annoyed".

The room swirled again in a blur of colors until it became the Flea Bite Café.

Flea Bite Café

Shaina and Sasha were talking when the doors flew open, Vaporeon tearing like heck through.

"Hi, Sasha… Hi, Sasha…" said Vaporeon as he passed by Shaina and Sasha.

"Who, or what was that?" said Shaina.

"That would be Vaporeon", said Sasha.

"VAPOREON!!" shouted Ninetales.

"And that would be the reason why he was running like Sonic the Hedgehog".

Ninetales ran into the café, where he saw Shaina. Ninetales quickly forgot about Vaporeon and screeched to a halt.

"Hi", said Shaina, "Ninetalesuk, right?"

"…hi…hi…" mumbled Ninetales.

Shaina turned towards her sister, "Is he always this articulate?"

"No", said Sasha, "He's usually a good talker, but I don't know why he's acting like this".

Just then, Charlie, Itchy, Jolteon, Eevee, Charleon, and Flareon entered the Café.

"Hey", said Charlie, "Have any of you seen…" he spots Ninetales in front of Shaina, "…never mind".

"Charlie, just what is going on with Ninetales?" said Sasha, "He's acting so peculiar".

"Well", said Charlie, smiling sheepishly, "The thing is, Ninetales…"

"Hey!" interrupted Jolteon, "Where's Vaporeon?"

"UGH!" grunted Sasha, "He's up the flagpole, again".

"You guys go get him", panted Flareon, "I need to rest". He then spots a newspaper on the floor, with an interesting headline:

Wanted: Miltank Hearder (No Experience Necessary)

"This sounds good".

"So that's how it all started", said Ninetales as he saw Flareon read the ad about the job.

"Yeah, and why didn't you stop it?" said Sasha.

"I… I…" mumbled memory Ninetales.

"Never mind", said Sasha as she saw herself go to Charlie while Jolteon spotted Vaporeon up the flagpole again.

"Vaporeon!" shouted Jolteon, "You can come down now!"

"NO WAY! ANGRY FOX ALERT!" shouted Vaporeon back.

"Whatever", said Jolteon.

"Anyways", said Charlie, "Ninetales is acting like this because he's in love with your sister, Sasha"

Sasha and Shaina jumped back from shock.

"I can't believe it", chuckled Sasha.

"What's so funny?" asked Charlie.

"Oh, nothing. Just thinking on how cool it'll be to have Ninetales as a Brother-in-Law someday in the future".

"Why it'll be cool...?"

"Because he is cool, unlike some dogs i know"

"Oh yeah...? What makes him cool?!"

"Lots of things; his well behaved manner, his hygiene, his obedience, his helpfullness, his way of volunteering for errands, his punctuality, and he breathes fire, to boot".

"And a lot of hot gas", said Eevee.

"No", said Itchy, "That's Flareon, Eevee"

Flareon was too busy reading about the article that he didn't listen to what they just said. Charlie, meanwhile, was getting annoyed on how Sasha finds Ninetales more charming than him.

"How can HE be helpful?!", said Charlie, "And what is his way of volunteering his errands?"

"Charlie, we can stay all night here talking about it, but right now, we need to snap Ninetales back to reality", said Sasha.

"That's no problem. Where's the mallet?"

"No you don't Charlie. If anyone's going to get conked on the head, its you".

"A bit protective of Ninetales, hmm...? Come on, Sash... got any bright ideas?"

"At least her ideas don't get anyone in trouble, hurt, get chased by Ninetales, or end up on America's Most Wanted or America's Funniest Videos", laughed Eevee. Eevee opened his eyes from laughing hard to see Charlie glaring at him with anger.

"Eevee…"

"Yes?" asked Eevee, looking at the angered German Sheppard.

"This time i am sending you to Mongolia, and Ninetales isn't in the condition to help you".

"Help…" gulped Eevee as he runs out of the café, Charlie close behind.

"WAIT UNTIL I CATCH YOU!" shouted Charlie.

"Oh boy…" said Itchy.

Meanwhile, Flareon was with Jolteon, wondering how they're going to get Vaporeon down from the top of the flagpole.

"Hmm", said Flareon, "How are we going to get Drippy from the flag pole?"

"WHAT WAS THAT?!?" shouted Vaporeon, growing mad.

"That'll work", said Jolteon, "Nothing, Blubby. Nothing at all".

"THAT'S IT!!"

Vaporeon let go of the flagpole and shot a blue ray out of his mouth, narrowly missing Jolteon and Flareon. The ray hits the floor, turning it into ice.

"YOW!" said Flareon, seeing the ice turn into a block of ice, "Since when did he learn Ice Beam?"

"I'm guessing just now", said Jolteon as Vaporeon hit the floor, the Ice Beam slowing his descent, "RUN!"

Vaporeon fires his Ice Beam, but Flareon and Jolteon dodged it, making it hit an unsuspecting Charleon, turning him into an ice sculpture.

"EXCUSE US, BUT... AAAHHHH!" shouted Flareon as he and Jolteon ran out, Vaporeon firing his Ice Beam at them.

"Good friends", said Itchy as he saw the three Pokemon turn a corner and out of sight, "I wonder how they'll be if they were enemies? So, what should we do?"

"Ninetales, who else?" said Sasha, pointing to the mumbling Ninetales.

"Oh yeah. I'll get the fire hose".

"Oh brother", said Ninetales as he saw memory Sasha stopping Itchy and suggesting a cup of water.

"Be thankful i was there before you got a tidal wave", said Sasha, seeing herself receive the cup of water from Itchy and throwing it on the mumbling Ninetales.

"Huh...? What...? Hello...? Huh..?" said Ninetales, shaking the water off his face.

"That did it", said Sasha, putting the cup on the table, "Welcome back".

"Where... What...?"

"To answer: Cafe... Talking to my sister…" Sasha points to Shaina.

"S...Sister...? H...Hi, Shaina…" Ninetales shakes his head, "Whoa…"

"What's wrong?" asks Shaina.

"N...nothing…"

"So, can I finally talk to you normally?"

"Yeah... Sorry…"

"Let's start over: Hi, my name's Shaina LaFleur, and you are?"

"Ninetales…"

"That's better. So, Ninetales, what is it about me that made you…" Shaina paused as she blushes "... like me?"

"Well... Your… beauty?"

"Beauty? You think I'm beautiful?"

"Y...Yes... Yes"

Both Shainas blushed scarlet when Ninetales said that she was beautiful.

"I always blush every time you say that" said Shaina, blushing.

"No kidding", said Ninetales as he saw himself struggle for words.

"Yes, you're beautiful and... and... and... Something…" Ninetales blushes, making his white face have a small touch of red, "My mind's gone blank".

Shaina blushed and turned her head, giggling, "Oh my…"

Sasha sees them both act so… childishly romantic, "Isn't this sweet".

"Excuse me?" said a voice that snapped Shaina and Ninetales out of their love spell.

"Who's there?" asks Sasha to the front door.

Just then, a Pelipper with a US Postal Service hat flies in, carrying something in his beak.

"Sorry for the intrusion", said the Pelipper, spitting out Eevee covered in postage stamps with the words 'Send to Mongolia' taped over his mouth, "But does this little guy belong to you?"

Ninetales blinks and rubbed his eyes, "Eevee?!?"

Eevee tried talking, but all that came out was a muffled sound.

"What happened to you?!"

"One guess…" said Sasha, thanking the Pelipper and taking the postage stamps off Eevee.

"Sasha, may I have permission to chase Charlie around?"

"Be my guest. By the way, want to borrow my mallet?"

"OK... Nice to meet you, Shaina".

"Nice meeting you, too", said Shaina as Ninetales runs out to find the German Sheppard.

"Nice start to our newfound friendship, eh...?" said Ninetales as the memory ended.

"Yeah, but at least you made me laugh", said Shaina.

Incidentally", said Angel Sasha, "What did you do to Charlie?"

"Chased him around the outskirts of San Fransico... he crashed into Jolteon and Flareon along the way and found him and Dumb and Dumber having their entire bodies encased in ice with only their head out... good times", said Ninetales.

"Makes me glad I only had one child", said Colleen, "Hmm…"

Colleen puts her paw to her head, thinking hard. Ninetales notices his mother deep in thought.

"Mum?" said Ninetales, "You thinking about something?"

Colleen looks at her son, "Yeah, thinking about the day you were... Born…"

Colleen puts her paw on her head again.

"What's wrong?" asks Ninetales.

"Strange. I remember only giving birth to you, but somehow... I feel like I gave birth to another".

"WHAT?!!?"

"Don't get overexcited. It's only a feeling, that's all. Must be when I was in labor. I gave your father a hard time. Maybe that's it, that's all".

"You don't look too sure", said Vulpix with a worried face.

Colleen picks up her son's younger self, "All I know is that i remember only having you. Maybe it's just a silly feeling I had, that's all".

Ninetales sighed. "Still, I felt so alone, even before your death. It was like a piece of me…was missing".

"And what's wrong with feeling alone, Ninetales?" said a all too familiar voice.

Ninetales' fur spiked up upon hearing the voice. Colleen searched around to find the source of the voice.

"Who said that!?!" she said.

"Being alone is the feeling you always did have, wasn't it?" answered the voice.

"That voice", said Ninetales, "It can't be… does she exist in my memory as well?"

Just then, a canine figure appeared before them; a whippet of purple fur, wearing a spiked collar, and a strong resemblance to Annabelle.

"BELLADONNA!" shouted Ninetales and Colleen simultaneously.

The purple whippet smiled, "Nice to see you remember my name so well".

"I can never forget you", growled Ninetales, "Not after what you've done to me!"

"Oh, you mean... THIS!"

Belladonna throws electrical shocks at Ninetales; Colleen and the setters gasped in fear.

"I always knew you had a 'Shocking' personallity, Ninetales", said Belladonna as she ceased her attack.

"I... really... HATE YOU!!!" roared Ninetales as he slowly got up.

"Ooo", sang Belladonna, "What am I going to do? Please don't hurt me...NOT!"

Belladonna fires a green orb towards Ninetales, but he easily swats it away with his tails, hissing with anger.

"I'm just warming up. When I'm through with you, I'll have your memories erased!"

Colleen's eyes grew small when she heard Belladonna mention 'memories'.

_When did she say something similar to that to me?, _thought Colleen, placing her paw on her forehead, _Why is it that I remember that saying, and her voice?_

"Ninetales", said Angel Sasha, shield up and seeing Ninetales' body smoky, "What's wrong? Why are you looking so...savage?"

"I hate her", snarled Ninetales, "I hate her!!! I hate her what she tried to do to me!!! Tried to... tried to…"

"I know Ninetales", cried Shaina, "But please, control your anger".

"Why?" asked Angel Sasha, "What did Belladonna do to him?"

"The same thing over again", said Belladonna as she snapped her fingers. Voices of Edward and Colleen on their final hours echo from the walls, screaming and yelling as they heard slashes and hits alongside.

"STOP IT!!!" shouted Ninetales, covering his ears to drown out the noise.

"Why?" asked Belladonna as she floated above him, "It's music to my ears".

"It's…", said Vulpix, hiding behind Colleen, "so horrible".

"STOP IT, YOU WITCH!!!" cried Shaina to Belladonna.

Belladonna smiled, "I try…"

Ninetales hisses and lashes out at Belladonna. Belladonna dodged the attack and kicked him hard in the back, sending Ninetales to the ground. "Silly fox. Do you think that's going to do good?"

Belladonna snaps her fingers, summons fire imps to her side, "I'll let you play with these guys for a while".

The fire imps went onto Ninetales, pulling at his ears and tails.

"GET OFF!!!" shouted Ninetales, swishing the little red guys off.

"I see", said Belladonna, "Let's get down to business".

She threw a green orb straight for Ninetales, but then, it got reflected back. Belladonna barley dodged the attack by a hair, literally.

"You…" hissed Belladonna, "Ruined…my…HAIR!!"

She looked and noticed that Angel Sasha stepped in front of Ninetales, shield at the ready position. Ninetales stomped the pesky imps to ashes.

"BELLADONNA!" shouted Ninetales as he lunged for her, "TIME TO PAY FOR WHAT YOU DID!"

Belladonna smiled, "This again?", she easily dodged the attack, "When will you learn?"

As she was about to kick him, Ninetales' tails glowed, blocking the attack, "What the?"

Ninetales swished his Iron Tails, sending the whippet to crash against the wall.

"Ninetales", said Shaina as Ninetales landed next to her, "Since when did you learn how to use Iron Tail?"

"SINCE SHE GOT ME…" growled Ninetales before getting lunged at by Belladonna.

"THINK SURPRISING ME WITH THAT WOULD DEFEAT ME?!?" shouted Belladonna, pinning Ninetales to the ground, "WELL, THINK AGAIN!"

As Belladonna prepared another green orb in her paws, Colleen tackled her off.

"STAY AWAY FROM MY SON!" said Colleen as she scratched and bit the whippet.

"GET OFF!" shouted Belladonna, swatting the Vulpix off her. Just then, Belladonna got her arm grabbed by Ninetales' teeth, "AUGH!"

"DON'T… YOU… HURT…" growled Ninetales, his tails glowing again. With all his might, he flung them at Belladonna, making her hit and breaking through the wall, "MY MOTHER!!"

Ninetales roared as he delivered the final blow to the fallen whippet. Belladonna yelled in pain as she took the hit at full force. Just then, her chest began glowing white.

"You're... stronger... than I ... anticipated…" panted Belladonna as she began disappearing.

"Leave... Me… and my… loved ones... ALONE!!!", shouted Ninetales, "Leave us alone, Belladonna... or you'll regret it…"

"HAHAHA!", laughed Belladonna, "Wait... until you... see the... next... memory... It'll break you. If it doesn't... my Master... will do it.…" with that, she disappeared.

"Mum", said Vulpix, heading for the recovering Colleen, "Are you okay?"

Colleen held her head as she remembered Belladonna's voice, but not from when she met her when she tortured Ninetales, _Too bad for you that the little one won't get to see his... _

"Mum?" said Ninetales, "Mum, are you okay? What's wrong?"

Colleen opened her eyes to see her son look at her with a worried look on his face, "…Ninetales…"

"Mom?" said Ninetales as he hugged the Vulpix.

"I think I met Belladonna before... you know... but I can't remember when!"

"WHAT?!"

"It's strange. Ever since this Belladonna spoke to you about memories, I keep hearing her voice in my head, saying something... "

"What did she say?" asked Sasha.

"It's all in pieces, like if a certain memory of mine is letting out information about it. GRRR!", Colleen growled as she dug her claws into the floor, "WHY CAN'T I REMEMBER THAT EVENT!"

Ninetales looked around the area, "Shadowmaster! SHADOWMASTER!!! YOU KNOW ABOUT THIS, DON'T YOU?! ANSWER ME!!!"

Silence was the only answer to Ninetales.

"Annabelle will help you, mum... we'll find out what's going on here…"

"INDEED SHE WILL, NINE-TAILED FOX", bellowed ShadowMaster's voice.

"Oh... NOW he turns up…"

"SEE ME IN THE NEXT ROOM IF YOU SEEK INFORMATION".

Saying that, the white doorway appeared before Ninetales and the females.

"Let's go".

To Be Continued...


	6. Ninetales' half memory of a disaster

**So, that's how Ninetales first met Shaina, although it could have went better for first impressions. With a happy memory comes... Miss Gloom-and-Doom herself, Belladonna! During their fight, Colleen has memory troubles of how she first really met Belladonna, but what's causing her from remembering? Ninetales asks for help... from ShadowMaster...**

Memory Resting Place

"There's no one here?" said Vulpix as he looked around the room.

"Mum", said Ninetales, "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine", reassured Colleen, "Except that I can't figure out why I'm hearing Belladonna's voice over and over again in my head…"

Ninetales looks around the room, "So... what's next?"

"Where's ShadowMaster?" asked Angel Sasha.

"You really want to see him?!?" replied Sasha, shocked.

"He's helping us for some reason", said Ninetales.

"But what if his 'helping' is actually leading us to a trap?"

Ninetales never thought about that: _What if he really is leading us to a trap?_

"Where is he then?" asked Vulpix, "I say we keep moving on…"

"He may know something that's bothering my mom", interrupted Ninetales, "He knows something... he knows…"

"YOU'RE DETERMINED TO HELP HER, AREN'T YOU NINE-TAILED FOX?" boomed ShadowMaster's voice through the room. Ninetales looked around for him, but nothing.

"She's my mother", replied Ninetales, "I love her very much... why shouldn't I help her?"

"LOVE... HAHAHAHA!" laughed ShadowMaster, making the room shake a little from it. Just then, ShadowMaster appears behind Ninetales

"SO, WHY CALL ME?"

Ninetales looked into the yellow eyes of ShadowMaster, "Do you know anything that's bothering my mum?"

"PERHAPS I DO, AND PERHAPS I DON'T…"

Ninetales lost his patience with him, "Tell me! What is wrong with her?!"

ShadowMaster answers by disappearing from Ninetales' sight. Ninetales slams his fist to the ground, making a piece of the floor fall away.

"You... Coward…" cried Ninetales.

Suddenly, ShadowMaster reappeared and grabs Ninetales by the throat.

"NOT WISE TO CALL OTHER BEINGS MORE POWERFUL THAN YOU NAMES", said ShadowMaster, squeezing the fox's throat.

While struggling, Ninetales noticed a familiar scent from ShadowMaster, "That scent…"

ShadowMaster's eyes grew wide as he threw Ninetales against the wall.

"YOUR MOTHER'S MEMORY HAS BEEN TAMPERED WITH", said ShadowMaster.

"What?! By who...?"

"IT IS A POWERFUL SEAL THAT IS CONTAINING A CERTAIN MEMORY FROM ESCAPING. HER CHAIN OF MEMORIES HAS BEEN BROKEN, ONLY TO BE MENDED WITH A FALSE ONE. A SEAL ONLY DONE BY A DARK BEING".

"Belladonna... SHE has done this?!"

"I WON'T SAY WHO IT IS, BUT I SAW WHAT IT CONTAINED WITHIN".

"Why do I get the feeling you won't tell me...?"

"YOU'RE SMART, NINE-TAILED FOX. I WON'T TELL YOU, BUT LET'S JUST SAY, YOU MAY NO LONGER BE ALONE".

"What?"

Just as Ninetales got shocked by what he said, ShadowMaster disappears again.

"IF YOU SEEK ANSWERS, CONTINUE YOUR QUEST".

"Thanks for reminding me", said Ninetales as he turned towards the females, "His scent... is not of ShadowMaster's".

The girls were shocked to hear that.

"What do you mean?" asked Angel Sasha.

"He's not ShadowMaster... his scent smells familiar... I can't remember who's…"

"You smelled him before?", asked Sasha, "What was it like?"

"Pure Evil".

Meanwhile, Vulpix notices that ShadowMaster dropped a blue card, but this one had a scratch mark on it.

"Let's check out this memory", said Vulpix, holding up the blue card.

Ninetales takes the blue card from his young self, "Where did you find this?"

"ShadowMaster must have dropped it when he disappeared. Well, let's check it out".

Ninetales sighed, "Fine, let's go"

Ninetales holds up blue card. The door emit's the white light, and they disappear. Just then, ShadowMaster reappears in the room.

"HMM", said ShadowMaster to himself, "NINETALES IS BEGINNING TO KNOW…"

"There you are!" said a voice behind him. ShadowMaster turns around and sees a cloaked figure on four legs, "I was looking for you".

"SO, WHAT DO YOU WANT?"

"I want you to GET OUT!" The figure throws a black orb at ShadowMaster, but he swats it away.

"YOU'RE NOT GOING TO WIN! NINETALES IS GOING TO DEFEAT YOU!"

"Sure he is, and cut that out! I already know your true identity…"

Flea Bite Café:

Eevee walks into the café, Ninetales, Vaporeon, and Jolteon following.

"Where's Sasha and Shaina?" asked Eevee.

"They're away visiting a relative in Washington", said Ninetales, "They'll be back in two days".

"So, whose in charge then?"

"Sasha wanted to pick someone serious and knows how to run a cafe without causing any trouble. In other words, like how she ran the café".

"Charlie?"

"No... Gerta. Sadly, Gerta was away this week, so she happily picked me... I mean, do you really want Charlie to look after the cafe? Look how well he hosted that pawn shop".

Just then, Jolteon looked around the café and group, "By the way, have any of you guys seen Flareon?"

"Oh no!" said Ninetales as he picked up Vulpix, "Why did we go into this one?!?"

"We're dead…" gulped Vulpix.

"Ninetales", said Sasha, "Is this the event of the Miltank heard, hmm, Farmer Ninetales?"

Ninetales gulped as he put down his younger self and looks at Sasha sheepishly.

"He'll join with us later", said memory Ninetales as he turned towards the others, "Now, let's get everything setup BEFORE Keeper of the Pawn comes in with his future idea of his next money-grubbing scheme".

Ninetales passes by a Miltank.

"Mil…" said the Miltank.

"Hello to you too", replied Ninetales, but stops short, "Wait a minute…"

Ninetales turns around and sees Jolteon looking at him.

"What?" asks Jolteon.

Ninetales looks around, but sees nothing except Vaporeon and Eevee., "Nothing... nothing... it must have been my imagination…"

"I Never knew you had one", said Eevee.

"And we never know if we can send a Eevee to the moon!"

"Shutting up".

Just then, Vaporeon spotted milk on a table. "Hey guys! Who left milk here?"

"Where?", asked Ninetales, but saw Vaporeon drink the milk.

"MMM... this milk's pretty refreshing, like if it's been just harvested from a Miltank".

"Ooh", said Eevee, "Any more?"

"Check the back", said Vaporeon, finishing the milk.

Ninetales scratches head as Eevee disappears behind the door, "Milk from a Miltank...? I don't think Sasha has any milk like that, or does she?"

"Tell me about it", said Jolteon as Vaporeon fell asleep on the table, "I once gotten cottage cheese from a milk carton. it was sour, but oddly good".

Ninetales sighed, "I miss Sasha... she had common sense…"

Just then, a Miltank behind them sneezed.

"Mil…Choo!"

"Gesundheit ", said Jolteon and Ninetales simultaneously. Ninetales then snapped when Jolteon said it too, "Wait!", Ninetales looks around, "There was a…"

"A what?" said Jolteon, seeing around the café, except there was nothing but a sleeping Vaporeon.

"I missed you two…" said Ninetales to the LaFleur Sisters.

"That's the last time we leave without having one of us in charge", said Sasha.

"Shhh", said Vulpix, "Can we talk after the memory, this is getting funnier by the minute".

Ninetales rubbed his eyes and sighed, "OK... I'm going to get the cups ready.

Ninetales went to the storage cupboard, where a Miltank hands him the cups.

"Thanks", said Ninetales, receiving the cups and closing the door. He only took two steps before he stopped, "Wait a minute…"

"What's with you?" said Jolteon as Ninetales flung open the storage door, but seeing nothing but the regular storage items.

"I know something's up!", said Ninetales as he closed the door.

"Yeah, your mind".

"I guess I'm still tired... once, I was interested into computer games, but now I hate them".

"How can you hate them? Shaina once played with us six hours straight of Super Smash Bros. Melee! 900 rounds, only lost once! Man, you're lucky to find a girlfriend that is good at video games".

Shaina smiled as Ninetales looked at her, "I only lost the first round, but afterwards, I WAS UNBEATABLE!"

"See", said Vulpix, "She's more fun than you!"

"Actually", said memory Ninetales, "The reason is that I never got any sleep because you, Eevee, Vaporeon and Flareon keep on playing them... AT FOUR O'CLOCK IN THE MORNING!!!!!"

"Well", said Jolteon, "What else are we supposed to do to wake up and stay awake for the day?"

"Ever heard of coffee?"

"No, never touch the stuff. Well, not since Eevee's last sugar rush. By the way, wonder what's taking him so long with the milk?"

"Who knows... Eevee! Where are you!?"

Silence answered the two Pokemon.

"Better go check it out".

"Vaporeon... you go, since you're doing nothing but sleeping anyways".

"Why me?" yawned Vaporeon, "I'm so tired…"

"Because your the one who got excited on the video games last night... yelling with delight as if you won a game!"

"Next time you're playing Resident Evil, no cheat codes", said Jolteon.

"Alright, alright. I'm going. Going…"

As Vaporeon disappeared behind the door, Ninetales turned towards Jolteon.

"We don't need Resident Evil", said Ninetales, "You four ARE zombies"

"Then you're Project Nemesis", said Jolteon, "After all, you do roar like him and talk like him".

"I do not".

"Yes, you do. You go something like this: (Nemesis' roar)… idiots…"

"I don't sound like that!"

"Yes you do. Geez, wonder what's taking Drips so long to check up on Eevee?"

" I don't know", said Ninetales, heading for the door, "I really miss Sasha and Shaina", Ninetales opens the door, "Eevee! Are you here?!"

"Mil…"

Ninetales stared into the face of a Miltank. Ninetales' left eye twitched as he saw the bovine, "I knew it!"

"Knew what?" said Jolteon, wiping mugs clean with a red handkerchief.

Ninetales opens the door and points, without keeping his eyes off, the Miltank, "THIS!".

Jolteon's eyes grew as he saw the Miltank.

"Where the heck did this Miltank come from!?!?" asked Ninetales.

"Beats me".

Ninetales turned towards the Miltank, calmed himself down, and said, "Miltank... as Pokemon to Pokemon... allow me to ask you a question... calmly... WHERE THE HECK DID YOU COME FROM!?!?"

The Miltank replied by pointing towards the back room door. Ninetales opens the door and, to his and Jolteon's shock, see a room full of Miltanks with Vaporeon and Eevee on top of two, drinking milk.

"Hi, Ninetales, milk?" offered Eevee.

Ninetales stares wide eyed at the scene he was seeing, "I'm dreaming... aren't I...?"

"Let me check", said Jolteon, poking Ninetales with one of his sharp spikes.

"OW!!!" shouted Ninetales as his eye twitched, "I don't believe it... Sasha's gonna kill me!!! Where did these Miltank come from!? I mean... we aren't near a Miltank farm!"

"Who knows, but at least we get free milk…"

"Hey!" said Flareon as he appeared from behind the herd of Miltanks, "That's Miltank Farm Profits that you're drinking there!"

"… (Ninetales roared similar to Nemesis') …FLAREON!…", roared Ninetales,.

"See", said Jolteon, "You are Project Nemesis, or should I say, Project Ninetales Nemesis".

Ninetales ignored Jolteon's 'comment', "WHERE DID ALL THESE MILTANK COME FROM?!?"

Flareon smiled sheepishly to Ninetales, "Um… Part time job…"

"WHAT?!?!"

"I thought I could do this. All I have to do is herd these guys back to the farm, but I stopped here for a break".

"How many Miltanks are here anyways?" asked Eevee.

Hopefully," prayed Ninetales, "under 5".

"There's eight Miltanks here", counted Vaporeon.

"Flareon", growled Ninetales, "Get rid of these Miltank and take them back to the farm!!! If Sasha ever finds out about the Miltank, your life span will be shorten to 5 seconds!!!"

"Fine, sheesh", said Flareon, "Just because your species is known to live for a thousand years... WAIT! Where's Bruce?!?"

Jolteon waves the red handkerchief on top of his head to fan himself, "Who?"

"That isn't a girl's name", said Eevee.

I know that", said Flareon, "Bruce isn't a Miltank, he's…" Flareon's eyes grew wide as he turned towards Jolteon, "Jolt...put down the handkerchief slowly".

"Flareon?", said Ninetales, "If Bruce isn't a Miltank", Ninetales turns towards Jolteon and also grew wide in the eyes, "Flareon... no... no... you didn't…"

"What is it with you guys?", asked Jolteon as he felt hot breath on his shoulder, "Geez, Vaporeon, back off, and try a mint. You're breath smells like if you just ate hay".

"I'm over here!!!" said Vaporeon from the other side of the room.

"If all of you guys are there, then who…" Jolteon turned around and came face to face with a Tauros. Jolteon gulped, "Hi… Bruce…"

"Bruce", said Ninetales, "is a... Tauros... You brought... a bull into Flea Bite Café?!?"

"Uh-huh... and Jolteon's waved red at him…" said Flareon.

"Oh, no…" said Jolteon, holding the red handkerchief.

"Girls. I suggest that you cover your eyes," said Ninetales to the females, "There's gonna be a murder here soon".

"There's no need," said Vulpix as the White door appeared, "Its over…"

"Aw", moaned Sasha, "I wanted to know why Flareon herded the Miltank into my café! And how they got it out without having Tauros destroying anything!!!"

"What happened?", said Shaina, "Why did it stop here?"

"This memory seems to have been almost neutralized," said Vulpix, "IT's trying to take over, and succeeding"

"Sasha," said Ninetales to the setter, "If you want, I can tell you it later on…"

"No", said Sasha in a sweet tone, "Tell me now, please?"

"I think the door wants us to continue…" said Vulpix as the white door grew bigger until it swallowed them in light. Opening their eyes, they were back in the Memory Resting room.

Memory Resting Room

"Grrr," growled Sasha.

"Sasha", said Ninetales as he placed a paw on her shoulder, "I'm sorry…"

"Not as sorry as you're about to be", said a voice behind Ninetales. Ninetales turns around and sees a four legged figure covered in a black cloak.

"Abandon this mission, Ninetales. Head back to your own world".

"I won't", growled Ninetales, glaring at the hooded figure.

"Even if you make it through this memory, you'll be too late. You'll soon be part of ShadowMaster's legion".

Ninetales growled as he pounced onto the creature, but the figure disappeared, "Darn!"

"Ninetales!" said Shaina, "What's gotten into you?!?"

"Huh?" said Ninetales as he got himself up, "Didn't you see him?"

"See whom?" asked Sasha.

"A cloaked figure! Telling me to give up on this mission and go home! Saying it's too late and I'll be a puppet for ShadowMaster!"

"What?!?" said Angel Sasha, "Stop talking like that!"

"Son…" began Colleen.

Ninetales looked at his younger self, "Didn't you see him to?! You are a part of me, aren't you?"

"Son, whatever it was you saw, it may not have been there".

"No, he maybe telling the truth," said Vulpix, shuddering, "When he began talking to himself, I felt... IT!".

"See," said Ninetales, "Even he felt it!"

"Yeah, but at least I don't talk to myself too".

"Too?! You're me as well!"

"But cuter!" said Vulpix, puffing his eyes like Bambi.

"AWWW!" said the Setters, blushing at the Vulpix.

"Oh, please…" said Ninetales.

"Well, shall we get going?" said Colleen.

"Very well".

Ninetales goes to the door, holds up the last card, and entered the last memory.

To Be Continued...


	7. Tortouring Heat and Sadness

**So something is causing Colleen from remembering a certain memory, but what and why? As Ninetales and the girls continue on the quest to destroy the Shadow Leech, they entered a memory that Ninetales didn't want to show Sasha or Shaina... Well, now that it's over, Ninetales has one more memory to go, but something else is telling him to stop his mission, something evil...**

San Francisco Park

"Are we back in the park, again?" said Ninetales.

"This is getting too attached to us", said Sasha.

"Wait!" said Colleen, looking around, "Where's little Ninetales?"

Ninetales and the others look around, but found no trace of the little fox.

"Where did your cute self go?" asked Shaina.

"Cute?" said Ninetales.

"Hey, Ninetales," said Angel Sasha, "What's that on your back?"

"Huh?" said Ninetales as he looked on his back, "A letter? From me?"

_Dear me._

_Can't come with you in this one... too scared... hopefully you don't get scared too... _

_signed: cute you._

"Scared? This memory is scary for him?"

"And I know why," said Shaina, pointing to an area, "Look!"

"What?"

Ninetales sees himself walking with Shaina; he noticed that his memory self looked tired and worried.

"Oh no... Not this one…"

Down below in the park, Ninetales was walking with a Shaina.

"It's such a lovely night, don't you think so, Ninetales?" the setter said softly in her musical voice.

"This one?" said Sasha, "You mean…"

"Where Ninetales get's tortured by Belladonna," cried Shaina.

"Now I know what she meant," said Ninetales, hearing Belladonna's voice again in his thoughts: _HAHAHA! Wait... until you... see the... next... memory... It'll break you. If it doesn't... my Master... will do it_, "I... I can't stay here…"

Ninetales stepped back, but was held back by Colleen, "Ninetales... how are we supposed to get out? The door's gone and the only way to get out is by..".

"Reliving this memory," said Angel Sasha.

"No…"

Just then, he heard himself start this whole event.

"I'm tired of you always bothering me about my past!" Ninetales snapped. "Why must you always be nosing into it?!"

A rush of anger brought on by the hurt filled Shaina's veins and she looked up at the fox, steely-eyed. Without being able to control herself, she lashed out with a paw and slapped him harshly.

"I hate you!" she retorted, "Never mind that I was only trying to help. I'll be certain to never make that mistake again!" With that she turned her back to him.

"My fault…" said Ninetales, digging his claws into the ground and dropping a few tears.

"Ninetales…" slowly said Shaina before Ninetales faced her, tears in both their eyes.

"You were trying to help me and I…"

"It's all right. I forgave you... You weren't yourself back then…"

"But she was…" growled Colleen as she points to the purple whippet.

As memory Ninetales turned around, he saw a strange dog reclining up in a tree and looking very self-satisfied.

"I'm better off without them!" he declared defensively. "And why are you in a tree? Dogs don't climb trees!"

Belladonna smiled. "Who ever said I'd climbed?"

"There isn't any other way," Ninetales retorted, narrowing his eyes.

Ninetales sighed, "Back then, I wished I had a crazy conversation with Eevee".

"Belladonna," said Angel Sasha, "She truly is heartless, taking advantage of you when you were down".

Ninetales shuddered, "I hate this part…"

"Ha!" Belladonna summoned her Fire Imps to terrorize the Pokemon. "You know you're angry at her. You know you think she shouldn't be prying into your private life. And you don't want her to know your deepest, darkest fear. You're afraid that you were at fault in some way for your parents' deaths. Am I not right?"

"SILENCE!!!!" Ninetales screamed, releasing his strongest attack in a burst of rage.

To his horror and shock, Belladonna flew into the air and used her dark magic to force the flames to redirect back at him and mix with her lightning.

"Take him away, boys," Belladonna smiled.

On her command, the fire imps were only too happy to leave with a weak struggling Ninetales. As Ninetales saw himself get carried away, he couldn't help but close his eyes shut and cover his ears.

"I…HATE… THIS….MEMORY!" shouted Ninetales as the scene began to change again.

Unknown Caverns

"Ninetales," cried Shaina, "Please, don't feel sorry for what happened".

"You got to be strong, son," said Colleen, "You got to be strong for all of us if we're to get out of this memory".

Ninetales couldn't get himself up, knowing on what's about to happen. Just then, he heard Belladonna speaking to his memory self, knowing it was about to begin.

"You're still alive?" said Belladonna, watching as her Fire Imps grabbed Ninetales and began climbing him and pulling his white fur, "You won't be dead for a while yet, but after what will be shown to you, you'll wish you were".

Ninetales growled, reaching up a wounded paw to brush the irritating creatures away. They refused to move, forcing him to stand up and shake himself off. Pain coursed through his bones as the injuries acquired during Belladonna's attacks made themselves known.

Belladonna sneered as Ninetales tried to shake the last of the Fire Imps from off his fur. It clung stubbornly with its teeth, and finally the fox had to remove it by digging in his claws.

"You're rather insecure, aren't you?" Belladonna said smoothly.

"What do you mean?!" Ninetales demanded, glaring at her through the blood that was dripping over his eyes. He dug his claws into the floor, willing himself to be prepared for whatever came next.

Belladonna leaned back and smiled. "Don't try to toy with me, it won't work. I know all about your past. I know about everything you've blamed yourself for. And I know someone else who blames you as well."

"NO!" shouted Ninetales, cowering on the floor, knowing what's coming next.

"Ninetales!" cried Shaina, comforting the fox, "Please, try to remember that it's all over…"

"This… will… always… haunt… me…" cried Ninetales as he heard himself in shock to see who was blaming him.

"MOM!" he cried, his eyes widening in disbelief and forgetting all that Belladonna had just told him. "DAD!" The fox rushed forward, wanting only to embrace them both and be embraced, to feel their love once more . . . but he stopped short when he saw their accusing faces and battered bodies.

They had both been beaten. Deep lacerations graced their proud backs and once-strong legs. They had been attacked. Claws had raked through their gentle flesh, leaving scars that would never heal.

"I still can't believe that's how she pictured me!" snarled Colleen, "Oh, when I get my paws on her…" Colleen went into a short trance as she recalled saying that to Belladonna before all this: _I'LL NEVER LET YOU TAKE THEM, YOU MONSTER!…_

Colleen fell to the ground, holding her head.

"Colleen," said Angel Sasha, heading towards the Vulpix, "What's wrong?"

"I…I…don't know," said Colleen, getting up, "I just… don't know".

"Mom," began Ninetales when he heard his fake mother yell at his memory self.

"How could you have let this happen to us?!" she screamed. "Didn't we always treat you with love and care?! How could you let the poacher's Pokémon kill us? HOW??!" She towered over her son, reaching out a paw and slapping him across the face.

Ninetales didn't care about what was going on with his memory; his mother needed help at the moment.

"Mom," cried Ninetales, "Please tell me, what is it?"

"I don't know," cried Colleen on her son's shoulder, "I don't know. It feels like I have met Belladonna before, but I just can't remember when…"

Ninetales completely forgot about the memory's events, trying to comfort his mother from the headaches she had to endure from the unknown cause.

"Mom," began Ninetales before hearing himself scream in pain.

Memory Ninetales screamed, covering his head with his front paws and wrapping his tails around himself. But it wasn't much protection. Every part of him that was exposed felt the force of the attack from his fake father.

Now the Vulpix stepped forward. She stood over her "son" fiercely, her eyes narrowed with a sadistic light. A deep wound was above her eye and continuing under it. Truly, she and the Houndour were demons of destruction. They felt no pain, but they reveled in inflicting it on others.

"Mother," Ninetales choked out, "I'm sorry! I didn't mean . . ."

She slapped him. "Be silent!" The violence and her voice rang out through the deep cave.

Colleen got up, somehow her mysterious migraine passing. She then saw herself and Edward entering the fight.

"NO!!" The memory true Colleen said as she flew into the room, hovering between Ninetales and this imposter. Her eyes were full of a mother's unconditional love and also sadness over the tragic situation. "Dear Ninetales, you must not listen to these lies!" she pleaded. "For they _are_ lies! Your father and I gave our lives for you willingly. You were only a child. Never once would we dream of you needing to protect us."

"I heard you," said Ninetales to his mother, "But why couldn't I see you?"

"We were transparencies back then," said Colleen, "But now, we're able to take physical form. Oh, Ninetales, I'm sorry for not being much help here".

Meanwhile, Ninetales watched as Belladonna created a demon in the form of Shaina, heading towards his memory self.

"Ninetales," sang the fake Shaina.

The tortured Pokemon struggled to look toward the sound and sees Shaina.

"Shaina!" he called weakly, trying to move. His legs, weakened from the harsh beating, crumpled under him.

She stood over him, uncaring and unfeeling, "You've pushed me one too many times, Ninetales," she growled, "I'm tired of you always refusing to talk to me when all I wanted was to help. But now I've had it with you. I'd say you've gotten everything you deserved." The demon reached out and kicked him with one of her daintily trimmed paws.

Ninetales clawed the ground, "I... HATED...HER…"

"Please, Ninetales, calm down," said Shaina, calming the Pokemon.

"Belladonna…" snarled Ninetales.

"Please, son," cried Colleen, "Remember, your father and I tried to talk to you, but you couldn't tell which one was telling the truth at the time (cries) I'm... so... Sorry…"

Ninetales comforts his mother, "No, I'm sorry…"

"Sorry?" interrupts a voice, "Is that all you can say? My, my, how the mighty can fall".

"WHAT?!" said Ninetales, looking around. The memory seemed to have been put on pause, but Ninetales was looking where the voice came from.

"Oh, Ninetales," laughed the voice, "One bad memory and you go into shambles," Just then, a figure is seen in a cavern opening, hidden in shadow, "I just love those kind of endings: The hero falls to his dark past…"

"Who?!"

"Don't I sound familiar to you? I'm disappointed that you remember my bro. and not me... Oh, woe is me…"

"Box?"

"My...name... is...NOX!!!!" yelled the figure as a stream of fire headed towards them.

"Look out!!!" shouted Ninetales as he and the others dodged the flames, which hit the cavern wall and making the rocks glow orange from the heat.

"MY NAME'S NOX!!" shouted the figure as he steps out, revealing himself as Nox, Equi's twin brother, "Stupid Fox! Calling me Box! My Name's NOX!!!"

"You're a lame poet…" said Sasha.

"Wasn't trying to be poetic, especially not for flea-ridden setters or foxes".

"Oh please," said Ninetales, getting up, "If I want to hear rubbish poets, I'll just listen them from Charleon when he eats too much cheese".

"Think you're a comedian do you? Well, it's no laughing matter when I get through with you... MAGMA EXPLOSION!!"

Nox stomps his foot on the ground, making the cavern shake. Ninetales and the others watch as hot magma poured out of walls and the floor, creating a river of lava surround them.

"Hot, isn't it?"

Ninetales walks into the magma, "No, just perfect".

"Don't think I'm not surprised... I know that Fire-type Pokemon can stand the heat and magma, but not for canines" Nox points to Shaina, Sasha, and Angel Sasha, who was beginning to pant hard.

"Shaina!!!" shouts Ninetales as he gets out of the magma, "Hang on!"

"It's no use, Foxy Lover! There's nothing you can do for any of them! This area is getting hotter by the minute! By the rate's she's panting, I give her fifteen minutes before the heat dehydrates her and burns her... Can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen".

"Leave her alone... leave them alone... LEAVE THEM ALONE!!!"

"TRY AND MAKE ME!" taunted Nox (his hands light up with fire). YOU WANT TO SAVE THEM, THEN TRY DEFEATING ME!

"Very well... let's go!"

Ninetales lunged for Nox, but Nox sidestepped and kicked him on his back.

"IS THAT YOU'RE BEST?!?" shouted Nox, creating fire discs, "HERE'S MINE!!"

The fire discs headed straight for Ninetales, but Ninetales used Quick Attack to dodge them and headed for Nox again. This time, he used Iron Tail to land a hit on him.

"GOTCHA!" shouted Ninetales, but Nox turned into ashes, "HUH?!?"

"Behind you," sang Nox as he uppercut Ninetales, sending him flying towards the panting setters. Ninetales got up and saw that Sasha, Shaina, and Angel Sasha were having trouble standing up as the heat was getting more intense.

"Shaina!" said Ninetales, "Hold on! Please hold on!"

"Reassurance is futile," said Nox, creating a giant fire disc, "It's only a matter of time before they're broiled alive". Nox prepared to launch his disc towards Ninetales and the setters, but yelled in pain as Colleen bit him on his arm, launching the disc up towards the ceiling. The disc caused the stalactites to fall on Nox and Colleen, burying them both in rubble.

"MOM!" shouted Ninetales, digging away the rubble until he found the Vulpix, unconscious. Picking her up, Ninetales lightly shook her, "Please tell me you're alright… Mom?"

Colleen coughed up the dirt from her mouth and began breathing hard.

"Mom! You're okay!" Ninetales hugged the Vulpix, making her say, "OW!"

"Sorry," apologized Ninetales, looking at Colleen, then to the pile of rocks, "But at least he's gone".

"Or is he?" replied a voice from behind him. Ninetales heart skipped a beat as he turned around. He saw Nox smiling at him, dirt on his black robes.

Ninetales puts Colleen down and glares at Nox, "What does it take to kill you?"

"A lot, actually," said Nox, his hands again engulfed in flames, "But what about you?"

Nox fires fireballs towards Ninetales, who used Flash Fire to absorb the attack.

"That's not going to work against me!" said Ninetales, his tails glowing again, "TAKE THIS!"

Nox countered the Iron Tail with his own flames. The two attacks were intense that it exploded from the impact. Ninetales flew off and landed hard on the floor. When Ninetales tried getting up, Nox rushed up and grabbed him by the throat.

"See, you were never a match for me," said Nox, holding Ninetales, "I was only defeated by your rage self, not you. Now, I think their time's almost up, so I'll let you see them die before I kill you".

"Come on," said Ninetales as the Ninetales held turned into a Rhydon substitute, "You've fallen for the same trick for the 15th time". Ninetales slams onto Nox with Iron Tail, but Nox turns into ashes again. Suddenly, Nox makes a grab for Ninetales again.

"So have you," said Nox, "You out of power, now their down to two minutes... and counting"

Ninetales snarled at him, "WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO DEFEAT YOU?!?"

"Nothing you can do. Say Farewell, Ninetal...AAUUGGGHHHH!"

Nox yells in pain as he gets struck in the back by something. Turning around, he and Ninetales see Ninetales' other self, his anger and hatred, Fire Ninetales.

"How... How... did you get here?" gasped Nox as he stares into the fiery eyes of Fire Ninetales.

"I led him here," said a voice. Vulpix reveals himself behind Fire Ninetales. Fire Ninetales let's go of Nox as his chest glows white.

"NOOOO!!" shouts Nox, letting Ninetales go, "I CAN'T BE DEFEATED!" Nox lunges for Ninetales, creating another fire disc, "AT LEAST I'LL TAKE YOU DOWN!"

Ninetales used Quick attack to disappear before Nox hit the ground with the fire disc.

"WHERE DID HE…" began Nox before getting swat from behind by Ninetales.

"Here!" shouted Ninetales as he finished Nox off with Iron Tail.

Nox disappeared in a bright white light, shouting, "GRAAHHH! MASTER, I FAILED ... YOU…"

The magma disappears, making the temperature drop to normal in the caverns. Ninetales was panting hard.

"Sorry if I was late, but He didn't want to come," said Vulpix, pointing to Fire Ninetales.

Just then, Colleen woke up from her attack, "Ow... Gonna feel that for a while... Ninetales, how are the others?"

Ninetales runs towards the setters, all of them on the ground, their panting beginning to calm.

"Shaina? Sasha? Erm, Sasha?" said Ninetales, "Are you all okay?"

"I'm... okay...thirsty though…" said Angel Sasha.

"Ditto…" said Sasha.

"Where?" said Vulpix.

"Never mind".

"Shaina?" said Ninetales to the setter.

Shaina smiled at him, "I'm okay".

"Well, we cut it a little too close," said Vulpix.

Fire Ninetales begins to leave, but Ninetales called to him.

"Hey, uh me, thanks".

Fire Ninetales stood silent for a while, then he tosses a yellow card to Ninetales.

"That's a summoning card," said Vulpix, "If u need... your help... just call for, well, Him and He'll come".

Fire Ninetales disappears into the cave.

"OK," said Ninetales as he hugs Shaina, "I almost felt I failed you and Sasha…"

The caverns swirl until it turns into the shore, Ninetales and Shaina sitting side by side, watching the sunset. Shaina rests her head on her shoulders as she sees her memory self talking with Ninetales.

"When I was only a tiny Vulpix," memory Ninetales began abruptly, staring into the deep colors, "I witnessed both of my parents die trying to protect me from a Pokémon poacher."

Ninetales didn't look at her. "It happened during a sunset like this one. It's always been hard for me to enjoy them since then." He dug his claws into the ground. "But . . . I know I need to put it behind me. I don't want the past to haunt me anymore. I want to be able to discuss it freely with the one I love and not have it hurt."

"I'm trying, Shaina." Ninetales looked at her, almost as if reading her thoughts. "I want to change. I want to live in the here and now, with you." He moved over closer, looking into her eyes. "You've helped me so much. . . . I want to be the best I can be for you." Before she could answer, he had kissed her softly.

"Ain't that sweet," said Vulpix, "Oh well, Look, the door's here".

The white door appears, ready to take them to the resting chamber.

I wonder what's next?" asked Ninetales as he and the others entered the door, taking them to the memory resting place

To Be Continued...


	8. ShadowMaster and Shadow Leech Confronted

**Ninetales had to go through his harshest memory of all: being tortured and hated for what he couldn't do when he was a Vulpix pup. During the toruture, Nox decided to join in, but fell at the paws of Fire Ninetales. Now, with the last memory gone, its time to head towards the last battle... and the truth of ShadowMaster Copperhead...**

Memory Resting Place

"Is this all too familiar, or what?" said Vulpix, looking around the white room.

"Now what?" asked Ninetales, looking around.

"Got any memories left?" asked Sasha.

"Well, the arc looks... Different…" said Angel Sasha as she pointed towards the arc, which was no longer white, but black and purple, " Those colors look all too familiar".

"IT resides behind those doors," said Vulpix, his whole body shaking, "OOOHH, can't we go back? I kind of liked that memory of when you rescued the Three Stooges".

"It's finally time…" said Ninetales as he headed for the arc and grabbed the handle. The handle was very cold for Ninetales that he felt it could have froze his whole soul. Not being bothered by it, he pulls... but it wouldn't open.

"What?!" said Ninetales as he tries again, but the door was unmovable.

"I don't want to go in there," cries Vulpix as he runs behind Colleen.

"The Leech is in there and I can't open it?!"

"You sure you're doing it right?" asked Sasha, "Maybe you need a memory card to open it, like the last ones"

"But I'm out," said Ninetales, holding the yellow card, "All I got left is this one, but it's only to summon the other me".

"YOU GOT THAT ONE RIGHT" boomed a familiar voice.

"Jolteon is still much annoying than him".

ShadowMaster appears in between Ninetales and the doorway, "DID YOU ENJOY REVISITING THOSE MEMORIES, NINE-TAILED FOX?" asked ShadowMaster.

"Some of them were fine... like remembering an old and close friend…"

Ninetales turns and smiles at Sasha. She returned his smile with one of her own.

"PLEASED YOU ENJOYED KNOWING THAT YOU AND THE SETTER WERE FRIENDS SINCE YOU WERE YOUNG. SHE WAS LIKE... A SISTER... TO YOU, HUH?"

"Yes," said Ninetales as he turned his head, "What are you?"

"I AM THE MASTER OF ALL SHADOWS"

"If you're evil, you wouldn't be helping us?.

ShadowMaster stood silent, "WHAT ARE YOU TRYING TO SAY, NINE-TAILED FOX?"

"You're not ShadowMaster! And even if you're a memory, you're not the REAL ShadowMaster... you're someone who disguise himself as ShadowMaster. Just who are you anyways?"

"NINETALES, NINETALES... DON'T YOU KNOW WHO I REALLY AM?"

"Well, you smell clean... like you had a bath…"

"THANKS. I DO KEEP MYSELF GROOMED ALL THE TIME. AFTER ALL, AFTER OUR BATTLE, I MUST HAVE STUNK".

"'Our' battle?"

"DON'T YOU KNOW?" said ShadowMaster as he flung his cape around himself. When the cape fell off, ShadowMaster was no longer there; in his place was…

"C...CHARLIE?!?" said the setters as they saw the German Sheppard smiling at them, his black armor and cape still on.

"Wow," said Angel Charlie, "It took you a while to figure it out, didn't it?"

Ninetales rushed and grabbed Angel Charlie and shaking him angrily, "What are you playing at?!?!"

"W..WH...AT... DO... YOU...MEAN...??"

"You… playing as ShadowMaster!!!" Ninetales paused, "Hold on…"

"What?"

"You're not real... You're another creation from my memory made by the Leech's power".

"Um...No... Didn't you notice all of the Leech's... henchmen? Sultrie, Belladonna, Equi and Nox?"

"Explain before I kill you for messing with me as ShadowMaster!"

Angel Charlie chuckled, holding a blue orb in his paw, "I wouldn't recommend that, but okay. I only played as ShadowMaster because you needed help".

"Help?"

"To help rebuild your self confidence and also to be able to control your enraged self. Those memories I gave you were to help you become stronger, especially with the fight against the Leech and all".

"Right," Ninetales glances at his mother, "Now I'm speaking to a more sensible Charlie Barkin".

"At least I don't come up with half baked ideas like my other self"

"I know... ask my world Sasha. By the way, how did you get here in the first place? You were still unconscious in the real world".

"Remember, oh wait, I don't think you can. When I hit you, or Sultrie-you, I encased a part of my spirit inside you, just in case. Inside, I noticed that the battle between Sultrie and the others was over, so I decided to stay behind a while. This is where I discovered the Leech. I could of have stopped him myself, but I wasn't in the condition to fight, so I was happy to see you enter here. thus I became ShadowMaster and stole three important memories from the Leech, plus the sleeping one I found," Angel Charlie sighed, "I just hope you forgive me for the whole ShadowMaster ordeal. I didn't think of it much either".

"There's a bit of Barkin sense there".

"Anything else?"

"Yes, my mother…"

Angel Charlie looked disappointed when Ninetales began, "Oh, yeah. Sorry Ninetales, but I couldn't break the seal on her memory".

"Darn... but, it seems you know about something on her".

"Yes, little, but yes".

"Tell us, please. If it can help my mom from having this whole memory ordeal".

"Why tell you when I can show you".

Angel Charlie goes to Colleen and places a paw on her head.

"Hold on…"

Concentrating, Angel Charlie tried to show the part where the memory was sealed inside Colleen. The area swirled in a mixture of colors as it settled in a familiar place.

"This is the Park back in the United Kingdom," said Vulpix, looking at the scenario.

"Wha…" began Ninetales before he saw his father, Edward, rushing towards them.

"Grr," struggled Angel Charlie as Colleen gritted her teeth, "This is from Colleen's point of view"

"Honey, how are you.…" Edward seemed to have time skipped to, "…okay?"

"What the?" said Vulpix, "Did we just skip a part?"

Angel Charlie and Colleen were both struggling, "Can't... keep... it... up...seal's...too...strong.…"

"Just hold on, Charlie," said Angel Sasha.

"Trying... To…"

"...they're beautiful…" continued Edward until he skipped to him facing an unknown enemy behind the bushes where Colleen stood, "COLLEEN, STAY... GRAHHH!"

A familiar voice echoes through the hall, "One of these... the legend of a... MEMORY CONCEALMEANT!"

Colleen yells and Angel Charlie lets go, making them back in the memory resting room.

"That was... BELLADONNA!!!" said Ninetales, recognizing the voice.

"Yes…" panted Angel Charlie, "Your parents... met her... when.…" Angel Charlie fell to the floor, hardly able to stand.

"Charlie! When?"

Angel Sasha helped Angel Charlie get back to his feet, "Thanks Sashy. It was when you were only a day old…"

"Right... but... what is she playing at?"

"She stole someone from your lives"

"S...Someone...?"

"Yes, someone that's related to you," Angel Charlie paused to take a deep breath, "Ninetales, Colleen gave birth to two Vulpixs".

"WHAT?!?!" shouted Ninetales, Shaina, and Colleen at the same time.

"Ninetales, you have a... LOOK OUT!" Angel Charlie rushes and pushes Ninetales to the side. Just then, Angel Charlie gets hit by a black orb, "GRAAHHH!"

"Who..?" began Ninetales until he saw the same four legged figure appear before him.

"Foolish canine," said the figure, "It took me a while to get him, but now, he's no longer to interfere with my plans".

Angel Charlie began disappearing into sparkling stars, "Ninetales... have a…"

"Charlie, no.." cried Angel Sasha as Angel Charlie fully disappeared.

"Good riddance," said the figure.

"Who... are ... you?!!?" snarled Ninetales.

The figure took his hood off and showed Ninetales and the females his head, "Look familiar?"

"WHAT?!" Ninetales was staring at the face of himself, covered with the purple markings; Necro-Ninetales lives, "Are... you the... Leech?"

"I AM!" said Necro-Ninetales, "I only took the form of you because it was the only one there was"

Vulpix cowers behind Colleen, "That's… IT!"

"And I am by the name you gave yourself, Necro-Ninetales!" laughed Necro-Ninetales.

"You... You…" growled Ninetales, "Where's Charlie?!"

"Gone from here. He's back with his self in the real world, where I am going to be once the transformation's complete. Annabelle and the others are doing a futile job to stop it. Once you're out of the picture, I'll take over your body and once again rule by my Mistress' side".

Ninetales chuckled, which confused Necro-Ninetales.

"What's so funny?" asked Necro-Ninetales.

"I'm not going to lose," said Ninetales, "I'll never lose to someone like you".

"Is that a fact? Well, my minions were unsuccessful, but I am in a different league of my own. You didn't like the darkness, but I need to feed off it. I would have been at my full power earlier if that mutt didn't take the most precious memory I was feeding off of".

"Guess we'll win... right, everyone?"

"N-no-o…" cried Vulpix behind Colleen.

"See," said Necro-Ninetales, pointing towards Vulpix, "Even your young self is helpless to stop me. He didn't even try helping you out in those battles".

"He's my young and happy version," said Ninetales, "All he wants to do is to play and be happy, not to fight... there's nothing wrong with that".

"There is when you are in need of help".

"I have my mother, Sasha, Shaina... and another Sasha... I'm never alone!"

"Are you now?" Necro-Ninetales throws two crystals to Angel Sasha and Colleen, "CRYSTAL IMPRISONMENT!"

Colleen and Angel Sasha became trapped in the crystal prisons, Vulpix pushed from Colleen.

"NO!!!" shouted Ninetales, rushing towards his mother, who was pounding on the crystal wall.

"Now, you're down to two," laughed Necro-Ninetales, "Not including your baby self, of course".

"Coward…" snarled Ninetales.

"Not coward, strategist," interrupted Necro-Ninetales, "Take out the ones most powerful to you and it'll result into your downfall. DEMONIC CRUSH!"

Neco-Ninetales had his paw create a fiery black orb, then rushed towards Ninetales.

Ninetales side-steps him, making Necro-Ninetales hit a pillar. The pillar shattered to rubble.

"Still full of pep, I see," said Necro-Ninetales, "Well, if only you were still working for Sultrie, you could have learned new, powerful moves".

"Like I want to throw my life away to work for a moronic fool," snarled Ninetales.

"Here's something you could have learned," said Necro-Ninetales, putting his paw in the air, where a purple and black scythe appears in his paw, "Ever danced with the reaper?"

"Yeah... Eevee when he dressed up as death…"

"That was a rhetorical question… Let's get down then... REAPER SLASH!"

Necro-Ninetales swung the scythe, cutting the pillars by him in half. Ninetales dodged it and Tackled Necro-Ninetales. Necro-Ninetales pushed Ninetales off, sending him crash against the wall.

"DIE!!" shouted Necro-Ninetales, preparing to strike him again. Ninetales closed his eyes and braced for the attack, but it never came. Ninetales heard Necro-Ninetales grunt, his scythe falling to the ground. Opening his eyes, he saw Necro-Ninetales glaring not at him, but at Vulpix, his tails fading from a recent Iron Tail.

"Stupid child!" snarled Necro-Ninetales, "You shouldn't start fighting with someone who's stronger than you!"

Vulpix, shaking with fear, glared the best he can at Necro-Ninetales, "The-en, ca-all me cr-cr-azy!"

Ninetales couldn't believe that his young self had it in himself to face against Necro-Ninetales. Suddenly, he remembered the summoning card.

"Hey, Leech!" said Ninetales, holding the yellow card out, "Let's get the last one of me to join this party!" The card glowed, where it turned into flames which quickly materialized into Fire Ninetales. Necro-Ninetales got his scythe and laughed.

"It won't matter how many of you there are," said Necro-Ninetales, "I'm still more powerful than you'll ever become! REAPER SHADOW SLICE!"

Necro-Ninetales threw his scythe towards Ninetales and his other selves, twirling like a saw blade. Ninetales ducked as the blade whizzed past him, but he didn't hear it hit the wall. Ninetales turned around and, to his horror, Necro-Ninetales caught it, his body emerging from the wall as if he was a living shadow.

"Nice, huh?" said Necro-Ninetales, "But that's only the beginning, here's the next one! REAPER SHADOW SLICE!"

Necro-Ninetales threw his scythe again, heading towards Fire Ninetales, but he jumped over it. The scythe once again was caught by its master.

"He's doing a Wall Shadow trick!" said Vulpix.

"You too, huh?" said Ninetales.

"And now," said Necro-Ninetales, "The piece of resistance, SHADOW REAPER ILLUSION!"

Necro-Ninetales threw his scythe, which separated into five scythes, all heading towards them and the setters.

"SHAINA!" shouted Ninetales, "GET OUT OF THERE!"

Too late, Shaina froze as the scythe was only an inch away from her. Before she knew it, Sasha threw herself on Shaina, narrowly dodging the scythe as it passed through Sasha's tail.

"Wha…?" said Ninetales before realizing that his scythe was already by him. Ninetales flinched, but saw that the scythe went through him as well, "What in the world?"

"You guys are too much!" laughed Necro-Ninetales behind Ninetales, "I only have one real scythe, the rest were nothing more than illusions!" He prepared to launch his scythe again, " See if you can figure out which one is real and which are fake. By the way, its only a fifth of a chance you'll get the real one. SHADOW REAPER ILLUSION!"

Ninetales and the others jumped over the scythes, illusion or real. Necro-Ninetales caught the scythe every time and launched his Shadow Reaper Illusion. After five attacks, Ninetales was getting tired of the whole fiasco.

"How are we supposed to stop him when we don't know which scythe is real," said Ninetales. Just then, he heard a tapping noise nearby. Ninetales turned towards Angel Sasha, pounding on the crystal wall and showing him the Shield of Purity.

"SHADOW REAPER ILLUSION!" shouted Necro-Ninetales as he launched his attack. Ninetales saw that the shield only showed one scythe on the reflection…

"I get it," said Ninetales as Necro-Ninetales caught his scythe. As he launched the attack, Ninetales saw the scythe heading straight for Sasha, and using Quick Attack, he caught the scythe with only an inch from cutting Sasha.

"WHAT IN THE-" said Necro-Ninetales as he saw his scythe illusion attack failed, "How?"

"Now's our turn," said Ninetales, spiting the scythe away, "Extreme Speed!"

Before Necro-Ninetales knew it, Ninetales hit him off the wall and sent him towards the wall.

"CURSES!" snarled Necro-Ninetales. Ninetales used Extreme Speed again, but Necro-Ninetales countered with a black orb, hitting Ninetales towards Colleen's crystal prison.

"Oof!" grunted Ninetales as he tried getting up. Necro-Ninetales launched another orb, but Fire Ninetales countered with his Fire Blast.

"So," said Necro-Ninetales, "Want to tango, big boy," he created the black fiery orb in his left paw, "DEMONIC CRUSH!"

Necro-Ninetales rushed for Fire Ninetales, who launched a Hyper Beam attack. Sidestepping it, Necro-Ninetales hit Fire Ninetales on his chest, sending him flying towards the black door. Fire Ninetales tried to get up, but the attack took its toll.

"Time to finish you," said Necro-Ninetales, preparing another Demonic Crush. Just then, he got hit by Vulpix's Iron Tail, "GRAH! Pathetic child! I'll show you to meddle again!"

Necro-Ninetales grabbed his scythe, but Ninetales grabbed it as well.

"Time to finish you," said Ninetales, his tails glowing. With one quick swoop, he used Iron Tail to send Necro-Ninetales flying up. Then, Vulpix hit him again upper, where Fire Ninetales, now recuperated, delivered the finishing blow to Necro-Ninetales, sending him down towards the ground, shaking from the impact. Necro-Ninetales, coughing up dust and blood, tried to stand using his scythe.

"You're…" coughed Necro-Ninetales, "You're strong, Ninetales"

"Of course," said Ninetales, "I have true strength from the ones that are close to me... you only serve that witch who has no one!'

"That's nothing compared to the Shadows," Necro-Ninetales coughed out more black blood, "If you only stayed on her side, you could have been unstoppable"

"I rather stay with the Light. Being with the Shadows will just make me feel lonely".

Necro-Ninetales smiled, "You will always stay lonely Ninetales, until you find her will you be whole again, and I'm not talking about Sultrie or Belladonna".

"Her?" Ninetales blinked, "Wait... what Charlie said before you attacked... Are you telling me that I… I HAVE A SISTER!!!"

"Correct! I was able to read Colleen's memory, unlike Barkin. You're mother gave birth to two Vulpixs, you and a sister. Belladonna stole her from your parents when you were only a day old and placed a spell to rewrite that memory, something I was going to do to you before He came and stopped my regeneration early".

Ninetales stepped back in shock, "My sister... I have a twin sister... taken away from me... Belladonna stole my sister... she tormented me even before that…"

Necro-Ninetales laughed, "OH, BELLADONNA! SHE'S TRULY AN ARTIST AT MAKING YOU AND YOUR FAMILY SUFFER! HAHAHAHAHA!!"

Ninetales went towards his imprisoned mother, "Mom…"

"Maybe I should take her out of that prison," said Necro-Ninetales, snapping his fingers, freeing Colleen and Angel Sasha .

"I... you... there was... a daughter... I had a... sister…"

"WHAT?!?" said Colleen, shocked to hear what her son was telling her.

"HAHAHAHAAHA!" laughed Necro-Ninetales, "I JUST LOVE THESE SHOCKING MOMENTS"

"I had a twin sister... on the same day when I was born... and when she was a day old, Belladonna came and... took her," said Ninetales.

"I... don't... believe…" cried Colleen before saying, "NINETALES, WATCH OUT!"

Necro-Ninetales began rushing towards Ninetales, scythe at the ready, "Foolish Boy! You gave me a chance to regenerate! DEATH SLICE!"

"No... it all ends NOW!!!" Ninetales vanished, before Necro-Ninetales slashed at the pillar.

"THIS ISN'T OVER…" began Necro-Ninetales before being slammed by Ninetales' Iron Tails.

"Now it is…" snarled Ninetales.

"GRAHHH!" grunted Necro-Ninetales as he began turning into vapor, but he was smiling, "Did you think I can be defeated so easily? I was only a part of the real me. Go beyond that door and you'll see my true self," Necro-Ninetales turned into complete vapor and slips into the cracks of the door

Ninetales stared in horror as the black door clicked open, emitting a black fog from it, "What...? What...? WHAT?!?!!?"

Vulpix shuddered as the feeling of cold froze the door's outline, "There's something powerful inside... something evil... something three times as strong as Necro-Ninetales!"

"The Leech," Ninetales falls to the ground, "I can't...I don't think any of us can stand against the Leech's power…"

"Yes you can," said Shaina, placing a paw on Ninetales' shoulder, "I believe in you, all of us do".

"But... I can't take much more of this... not after what I've learned…" Ninetales gets up, placing his paws on his head, "I'm... confused…"

"Ninetales," said Colleen, wiping her tears away, "We'll get to that soon, but right now, you are the one in need of help".

"If we don't stop that thing now," said Vulpix, "It'll be too strong for us to stop".

Ninetales stood still and silent for a moment, thinking: _I have gotten stronger… I faced my fears, my dark past, I faced against some of the most powerful creatures ever… I can do this, I know I can…_

Ninetales got up, smiling, "OK... Let's go... let's end this once and for all!"

"But how?" asked Angel Sasha.

Vulpix goes and puts his paw on top of Ninetales', "By working together".

"Heh," laughed Ninetales, "How cliché".

Fire Ninetales goes and puts his paw on top of Vulpix's, "Not really, just your miracle".

Suddenly, Ninetales, Vulpix, and Fire Ninetales glowed white and yellow. With a flash of white, Ninetales combined with his other selves, becoming a gold and crimson Ninetales.

"Ninetales?" said an awe struck Shaina, "Is that you?!?"

"I'm going after It alone," said Ninetales in an echo of his voice, "Don't worry, I'll be alright, trust me".

As Ninetales entered through the dark doors, Shaina and the other females watched him go in a golden glow, "Good luck," wished Shaina to him as the dark doors closed.

Unknown Chamber

Ninetales looked around the chamber, but all he saw was infinite darkness, "Where are you?"

Suddenly, the floor under him begins to shift. Ninetales looks down and sees that the floor was actually a body. Looking up, he sees that the Leech was as big as a building and as long as the Bay Bridge, no longer. Little tentacles hung out of its sides as it turned to look at him. Ninetales saw that the Leech had a dragonish face, eyes glowing yellow, rows of fangs having black drool drip from them, and saw that it had something on its head. Looking closer, it was Necro-Ninetales, fused together with the Leech.

"Hey, handsome…" joked Ninetales as the Leech lowered its head, making Necro-Ninetales have the same facial features of the Leech, down to its drooling fangs.

"THIS IS YOUR FINAL RESTING PLACE, NINETALES!" boomed Necro-Ninetales' voice, as the Leech surrounded the golden fox, as It boomed out a hollow laugh, "IT WAS FOOLISH TO FOLLOW ME IN HERE! IT'S TIME FOR YOU TO BID FAREWELL TO THE LIGHT AND ENTER THE SHADOWS!"

"Mum... dad... Sasha... Shaina... My friends," said Ninetales, bracing himself, "I'M NOT LEAVING THE LIGHT!!" The Leech opened its mouth and let out a mighty roar that spit slime over Ninetales' golden fur, "…nice…"

"THE TIME OF YOUR DEMISE IS AT HAND!" boomed Necro-Ninetales, creating giant black orbs in his deformed paws, "TRY THESE! RAGNAROK BLAST!"

The giant orbs flew right at Ninetales, but Ninetales was able to avoid them by using Extreme Speed.

"WHERE ARE YOU!?!" shouted Necro-Ninetales, his red eyes glowing bloody.

"Behind you," said Ninetales.

Necro-Ninetales turned around to become blasted by a Hyper Beam. As Necro-Ninetales howled in pain, a tentacle grabbed Ninetales by his throat, throwing him off.

"WISE GUY!" shouted Necro-Ninetales, creating hundreds of scythe heads on the Leech's tentacles, "TRY THESE! REAPER PANDEMONIUM!"

Ninetales had difficulty dodging the scythes, as he dodged one, another would cut him. Almost getting diced, Ninetales created a Protect force field, which stood against the attack.

"HA!" boomed Necro-Ninetales, "THAT'S NOT GOING TO STOP YOU FROM THIS! OPEN WIDE AND SAY AAAAHHHHH!" The Leech opened its gigantic mouth and swallowed the Ninetales, shield and all. Necro-Ninetales laughed out loud as the Leech licked its ugly mouth, "I DID IT! NINETALES IS NO MORE! BWAHAHAHAAHA! NOW TO TAKE OVER HIS…" The Leech gave a giant yelp of pain, "WHAT'S GOING ON?!!?"

The Leech was squirming, as if something was eating him whole. Just before Necro-Ninetales knew what happened, the Leech spit out a stream of golden flames, along with the golden fox.

"Man," said Ninetales, wiping the slime from his face, "Do you ever brush?"

"BUT HOW?!?" shouted Necro-Ninetales, furious that the fox is still alive.

"Faith," said Ninetales as he created a giant ball of light, "and love. Two things that the Shadows or the Darkness would never understand!"

Necro-Ninetales snarled, creating two more black orbs, "YOU DARE SHOW ME HOPE! I'LL SHOW YOU WHAT THE TRUE POWER OF DARKNESS CAN DO! RAGNAROK BLAST!"

"Fox Fireball!" shouted Ninetales, launching the orb of light towards the two black orbs. The black and white orbs hit, but the black orbs were absorbed by the light.

"NO!" shouted Necro-Ninetales as the Leech took the hit of the light orb, causing it to disintegrate, "I… FAILED… GRRAAAHHHH!!! NINETALESSSSS!!!!"


	9. Ending one quest and starting a new one

**With the Shadowleech defeated, Ninetales and the others are ready to head home, but not without getting a new mission... finding Ninetales' twin sister. With a final goodbye, this story has ended... good, because it took me a while to finish editing it...**

Memory Resting Chamber

"Wonder how he's doing?" asked Sasha, watching the black door. Meanwhile, Shaina was comforting a crying Colleen.

"I had two…" cried Colleen, "Two... Belladonna sealed my memory... Took one of them…away…"

"There there," comforted Shaina, "Annabelle can help you".

Just as Colleen began smiling, the whole place shook.

"Earthquake?!?" stated Angel Sasha, "In a Memory?!?"

"Did he win... or... NO!!!" cried Colleen.

"What is it?!?" asked Shaina.

"What if... lost...?"

"LOOK AT THE DOORS!" pointed out Sasha.

The black and purple doors began to crack as light emitted from it. With a final quake and the door falling apart, the door turned to rubble, revealing inside Ninetales, back to being white and blue, on the floor. Seeing him, the females run towards him.

"Ninetales!!" said Shaina, "Are you okay?!?"

"He'll be fine," said Vulpix as Ninetales grunted.

"Heh," chuckled Angel Sasha, "Where did you come from? MUST you do that all the time?"

"Yeah, kind of like what Ninetales wished Eevee wouldn't do".

As Ninetales began regaining consciousness, a blue door appears before them.

"There's your ticket home," said Vulpix.

"It's... over?" asked Ninetales, getting up.

"Well, just this quest, but now you have a new one, and you know what it is, don't you?"

"Yes... I... feel... Strange…"

"That'll pass"

"Let's go... I want this... Come on...To end... My memories... are coming back... everything... is fixed... it's all over... Right?"

"See for yourself," said Vulpix, pointing towards the ceiling, where cards of blue, white, and green were floating above them. Many were disappearing in a blink of an eye, "They're going back to their rightful places"

"What's the green cards?"

"Dreams," said Vulpix as he grabbed a green card, "And here's a nice dream of Ninetales and Shaina. Want to see?"

"No!" said Ninetales as he takes the green card from Vulpix, "I'll... tell her about it... later…"

As they laughed and started to saying their good byes to Vulpix, they began heading out the door.

"Try being more fun will ya?" said Vulpix as Ninetales and Shaina were about to head out the door.

"I'll…" said Ninetales as he nuzzles Shaina, "I've got a future to think of... Goodbye".

"OH! WAIT!" said Vulpix before Ninetales headed out the door.

"What?" said Ninetales as Vulpix tosses him a red card, "What's this?"

"She's alive, Ninetales".

"Who is? "

"Our sister"

"How do you know?"

Being twins, I can sense that she's alive, but in danger of being pulled too deep... into the darkness. That card will glow when she's nearby, so don't lose it. It's like a Sister-Detector, so find her before it's too late. And farewell".

"Goodbye... Me".

With the last goodbye, Ninetales went through the blue door and entered back to the real world.

Chamber of Dreams

"How come he's not waking up?" said a familiar voice Ninetales quickly recognized as Eevee's. Ninetales was having some difficulty waking up from his so-called, slumber.

"Want to poke him with a stick?" suggested Charleon's voice. Before Ninetales could try answering, he heard Charlie's voice protest against it.

"Do that and he'll poke you with a spike," he said.

In the distance, he heard Angel Bess's voice, "Eevee, it's your turn!"

"Coming," replied Eevee's voice as he ran off.

Ninetales grunted as he began getting up.

"He's waking up!" came Vaporeon's voice.

"Use your water gun on him," said Charleon to Vaporeon, but Vaporeon quickly yelled, "NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

"My ear…" said Itchy as he rubbed it with his paw.

"Oh, he's awake," said Charlie as Ninetales adjusted to the light, "Welcome back, buddy. Looks like you did it".

"Where's…" began Ninetales as he sat up, "Everyone else?"

"Waiting for you," said Shaina, getting off the platform and heading towards him.

"And the leech? Did he came out?"

Annabelle came to him and smiled, "Don't worry, it was destroyed".

"Whatever you did caused that thing to dissolve out of you," said Edward, patting his son on the back.

"Dad," sadly said Ninetales, turning to face his father, "I'm sorry…"

"For what?" asked Edward, confused to see his son apologizing.

"Mum... didn't you tell him?"

"Tell me what?" asked Edward, looking at both his son and wife, "What's going on?"

"Along with me... mum gave birth... to two Vulpixes"

"WHAT!?!" exclaimed Edward, jumping back from Ninetales and glancing to Colleen, "Colleen, is this true?"

Colleen sadly nodded and began crying, "Yes... we had a son and daughter".

"But then, why do I only remember you giving birth to only Ninetales?!?"

"We'll explain it to you... " began Ninetales before he sees Eevee, "in private".

"Huh?" said Eevee before Angel Sasha grabbed him and held him, like if he was a soft teddy bear.

"Annabelle," asked Angel Sasha as she carried a struggling Eevee away from Ninetales and his shocked father, "How's Charlie?"

Angel Annabelle smiled to the setter, "Ask him yourself".

Sure enough, Angel Sasha turned around and saw Angel Charlie, smiling at him. Excited, she dropped Eevee ("Oof!") and ran towards him.

"Charlie!" said Angel Sasha as she kissed him on the cheek, tears flowing from her eyes, "I missed you…"

"I missed you too, Sashy," said Angel Charlie, hugging the red setter, "I'm also amazed that you were able to be brave to help out a friend".

"Oh, speaking of which. Flo!" shouted Angel Sasha takes off the bracelet and tosses it to Flo, who was dueling a victorious Angel Bess, "Thanks. It really came in handy".

"It was my pleasure," said Flo as she attached the Shield of Purity back on her wrist, then turned to see that Angel Bess finished Destiny Board, "Aw, man! Bess is good at this, but one day, I'll win".

As Ninetales finished talking to his father, who now needed to sit down, he remembered a certain event…

"Jolteon! Flareon!" shouted Ninetales, trying to find the Pokemon, "Sasha knows…"

"A little late," responded Vaporeon as they hear familiar yells and shouts in the background, "They're both running away from her before she catches them".

Ninetales smiled and glances at Charlie, chuckling.

"Never get on her bad side," said Charlie.

Angel Charlie smiled as he held Angel Sasha close, "What bad side?"

"So, it's all over?" asked Ninetales.

"Yeah," said Angel Charlie, heading towards Ninetales, "Listen, sorry for not telling you it all earlier. I... I didn't want you to feel discouraged so soon. You needed to get rid of that Leech first, after all".

"I know... however, now Shaina knows how funny I can be with the Five Nutcases".

"And you still are," said Shaina, hugging Ninetales, "Speaking of which, what were you all doing anyways?"

"Well," explained Charlie, "Ninetales' body kept changing, making Annabelle worried until he stopped transforming and went in the reversed direction. We settled down and watched you, the others, and Bess cream Eevee in Duel Monsters".

"How many times?"

"Not... too... Much…" stuttered Eevee before Angel Bess came up to him.

"Actually," said Angel Bess, "It was seven times, all with the same strategy too".

"I'm not surprised," said Ninetales.

"No fair," said Eevee, "She used Final Countdown on me and stalled for time".

Ninetales stretched himself, "Then, you should have a few cards to negate that effect".

"I never thought of that. Bess, next time, I'm going to be the victor," said Eevee as he walked out the room.

"I don't know about that," said Angel Bess, turning to Ninetales, "Final Countdown isn't the only card in my deck"

"Exodia? Destiny Board?" asked Ninetales.

Angel Bess smiled, "You got it".

Ninetales rolled his eyes, "I'm sure that can be overcomes as well".

"Not if you're not prepared".

"Since when are you good at Duel Monsters?" asked Charlie.

"We all have our little secrets," smiled Ninetales.

"His is Elemental Heroes," said Charleon.

"Better than Destiny Heroes... Diamond Dude, Double Dude? It's their names that's need to be worked on".

"Well," said Angel Bess, holding up her deck, "Mine is Finishing Tactics: Final Countdown, Destiny Board, and Exodia".

"Mine's Healing and Finishing," said Flo.

"Mine's Fairy-types," said Angel Charlie.

"Ditto," said Angel Sasha.

"Where?" said Eevee,

"Moving on," said Vaporeon, "Mines Water and water-like monsters".

"Oh, mine's Warriors, minus the Elemental and Destiny Heroes".

"And Flareon's Fire and Jolteon's Wind and Lightning".

"Seems we all have our own special decks," said Angel Charlie.

"What about you…Charlie?" giggled Angel Sasha.

"Dinos," responded Charlie.

"I thought it would the the Unlucky Deck," laughed Eevee.

"3... 2... 1.…" counted Ninetales before Charlie said, "Eevee... Mongolia called... they want you there...NOW!"

"How am I gonna get there?" asked Eevee.

"Three words: First...Class...Postage…"

Just then, Sasha bonks Charlie on the head, "Let it go".

"Sasha," said Shaina, "Back so soon?"

"What happened to Jolteon and Flareon?" asked Flo.

Sasha smiled and pointed up towards the ceiling, where Flareon and Jolteon were waving at them, smiling sheepishly.

Everyone laughed as they got the swinging Pokemon down and headed back to Earth, while Annabelle and Angel Annabelle were talking on how to get rid of Belladonna's mysterious seal.

Flea Bite Cafe

Sashy," said Angel Charlie, pointing up, "Mistletoe".

"Oh, Charlie," said Angel Sasha as she sweetly kissed him on the lips, "That was my line".

"Ready, sis?" whispered Shaina to Sasha, "He's in the kitchen like you ask him to... amazing that he just woke up and starts helping you out".

"The cookies still need time, unless you need them now," said Ninetales as he walks out of kitchen and bumps into a smiling Sasha, "Oh... hi, Sasha. What are you two grinning about?"

Angel Charlie saw his cue and turned towards Charlie, "Chuck, man that felt weird, I want to talk to you about something". As he takes Charlie outside, Angel Charlie winks at them.

"Ninetales," giggled Shaina, "Look up"

Ninetales looks up and spots, "Ah... a mistletoe…" As he looks down, he sees Sasha turning rosy in the cheeks, " Um…" Ninetales gulped.

"Don't worry," reassured Angel Sasha, looking outside, "We're alone, for now. Charlie won't be able to keep the others out for long".

"You do know what to do with a mistletoe and a girl, right?" giggled Sasha, blushing still.

"Yeah…" gulped Ninetales, "Just... never kissed another girl before…" he slaps his head, "This is familiar".

"Remember 'that's a nice name. Wanna play?'"

"Heh... Yeah…" Ninetales grins, "Glad you have my close friend back".

"Hurry!" ushered Angel Sasha, "Charlie's unable to keep all of them entering the cafe at once!"

"OK!" said Ninetales as he closed his eyes and kissed Sasha.

"Hold on, will ya!" said Angel Charlie as he entered the Café, "I'll let you all in a moment!"

"It's okay, Charlie," said Angel Sasha, winking at him. It was all good until…

"Ninetales kissing Sasha.…" said Eevee on Shaina's shoulders, then looking down at her, "Have you broken up?"

"EEVEE!?!" shrieked Shaina, "How did you…?"

"I got him," said Angel Charlie, putting a blue aura bubble on him. Before Eevee knew it, Angel Charlie shouted, "MUTE!"

Eevee fell to the floor and looked at him. He opened and moved his mouth, but no words or sounds came out. Ninetales went to Angel Charlie, befuddled.

"What did you do?" asked Ninetales as Eevee was trying to shout.

"Silencing spell," said Angel Charlie, blowing his paws.

"Oh…" said Ninetales as he glances at Sasha and blushes, "That was nice".

Eevee tried to protest, but only air escaped his silent mouth.

"That'll wear off in a day," smiled Angel Charlie, "Or less if you behave".

"Good news…" said Shaina, giggling, "Ninetales, Sasha? Did you enjoy that?"

"I don't know what to say," said Sasha, blushing.

"About what?" said Charlie as he entered the café. He spots Eevee, jumping and pointing towards Sasha and Ninetales. "Eevee's not speaking? THAT'S GREAT!!!"

Eevee just glared at him and slapped his face.

Ninetales shakes head and whispers to Sasha, "Are you sure you're in love with him?"

"I'm having some second thoughts," said Sasha, but saw Angel Charlie, "But then again…"

"Well," said Angel Charlie, "Anyways, Merry Christmas".

"Merry Christmas to you too," came a voice from outside the doors.

"Who could that be?" asked Ninetales, but his question was answered when two reindeer walk into the cafe, both holding up a red sack. Eevee jumped with joy as he saw who it was.

"Rudolph!" said Jolteon, greeting the famous red-nosed reindeer.

"Zoey!" said Flareon, greeting the doe.

"What?!" asked a confused Ninetales.

"Oh," said Shaina, looking at Ninetales' confused look, "That's right. You never met them".

"Huh?"

"I think you were under the Leech's control," said Sasha.

"What Leech?" said Rudolph, "Don't tell me someone else is infected".

"Okay," said Ninetales, "Well, Sultrie did mention Rudolph before Valmarmon came back".

"Who's Valmarmon?" asked Rudolph.

"And you mean that she planned this ever since?" asked Zoey.

"Yes," said Ninetales, "I just forgotten because of Valmarmon... heard of Digimon?"

"My father only mentioned them once to me. They're creatures of a different world, right?"

"Yes... Valmarmon is their Demon God, defeated long ago by a Divine God called Granasmon".

"But ShadowMaster, Sultries' master," said Angel Sasha, "Revived him and forced him to work for him".

"I was so busy concentrating on Valmarmon that I…"

"That you forgot to mention about Sultrie, huh?" smiled Rudolph, "That's okay, everything's alright now".

"Plus, Ninetalkin was handsome, to boot," blushed Angel Sasha, Sasha, and Shaina at the same time, thinking of the handsome hero.

"Either way, Santa and all of us want you to have these," said Rudolph as he and Zoey put down the sack on the ground, "A thank you for helping me out when I was in trouble"

"I see…" said Ninetales as Eevee was jumping with joy.

"I'll undo it if you don't blabber of what you saw, okay?" said Angel Charlie to the little happy Pokemon, who agreed at once, "Okay," Angel Charlie snapped his fingers, "Otherwise I'll keep you silent until next Christmas".

"Righto!" shouted Eevee as he leapt into the bag.

"Can you teach me the spell?" asked Ninetales to Angel Charlie.

"Sure," smiled Angel Charlie, "It's simple to do, but let's wait until tomorrow. Right now, Merry Christmas".

Ninetales nodded in agreement, "Yeah".

As the canines, Pokemon, and reindeer celebrate the holidays, the red card given to Ninetales faintly began to glow red.

Epilogue

Eevee: WOW! What a long story! Well, if your still here, then here's the final part to this. In honor of _Kingdom Hearts_, here's the beginning song called _**Sanctuary **_by Utada. Enjoy!

**"Sanctuary" by Utada (As heard in Kingdom Hearts II).**

In you and I there's a new land  
Angel's in flight  
wonk uoy naht noitceffa erom deen I  
My sanctuary, my sanctuary, yeah  
Where fears and lies melt away  
Music will tie  
wonk uoy naht noitceffa erom deen I  
What's left of me what's left of me now

I watch you fast asleep  
All I fear means nothing

In you and I there's a new land  
Angels in flight  
wonk uoy naht noitceffa erom deen I  
My sanctuary my sanctuary yeah  
Where fears and lies melt away  
Music will tie  
wonk uoy naht noitceffa erom deen I  
What's left of me what's left of me

snwod dna spu ynam os  
My heart's a battleground  
snoitome eurt deen I  
wonk uoy naht noitceffa erom deen I  
snoitome eurt deen I

You show me how to see  
That nothing is whole and nothing is broken

wonk uoy naht noitceffa erom deen I  
In you and I there's a new land  
Angel's in flight  
wonk uoy naht noitceffa erom deen I  
My sanctuary my sanctuary yeah  
Where fears and lies melt away  
Music will tie  
wonk uoy naht noitceffa erom deen I  
What's left of me what's left of me now

My fears and lies  
Melt away  
wonk uoy naht noitceffa erom deen I


End file.
